Rhodus insula clara est.

• Rhodus = the subject
• insula clara = the predicate noun + predicate adjective, describing what Rhodus is
• est = is, the linking verb

So the sentence has the pattern:

subject + predicate noun/adjective + linking verb

This is a very common Latin sentence type.

Because after a linking verb like est, Latin normally uses the nominative for both:

• the subject
• the predicate noun

So:

• Rhodus is nominative because it is the subject.
• insula is nominative because it tells us what Rhodus is.

This is similar to English Rhodes is an island, where both sides refer to the same thing.

Clara agrees with insula in:

• gender: feminine
• number: singular
• case: nominative

Since insula is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must match it:

• insula clara = a famous island / a renowned island

Because Rhodus refers to an island, the whole predicate is feminine as well.

Because Rhodus is a proper name borrowed from Greek, and its form does not have to follow the usual beginner expectation that -us means masculine.

In Latin, some nouns with unusual origins keep forms that do not match the most common patterns. Rhodus is treated as feminine, even though it ends in -us.

So this is a good reminder: gender is not always predictable from the ending alone.

Latin has no articles. There is no separate word exactly equivalent to English a, an, or the.

So insula clara can mean:

• a famous island
• the famous island

Which one sounds best depends on the context.

This is very normal in Latin, and learners have to get used to supplying the article naturally in English translation.

Yes. Insula clara is a noun phrase:

• insula = noun
• clara = adjective modifying it

Together they mean famous island or renowned island.

In the full sentence, that phrase functions as the predicate after est.

Yes. Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the endings show the grammar.

This sentence could appear in other orders, such as:

• Rhodus clara insula est
• Insula clara Rhodus est
  though some orders are more natural than others depending on emphasis.

The given order is straightforward:

• first the topic: Rhodus
• then the description: insula clara
• then the verb at the end: est

Putting est at the end is especially common in Latin.

Here clara means famous, renowned, or well-known.

The adjective clarus, clara, clarum can have several related meanings, including:

• clear
• bright
• famous
• distinguished

In this sentence, the sense is clearly famous/renowned, not clear.

Sometimes Latin can omit a form of to be, especially in short sayings, poetry, or very compressed style. But in a basic prose sentence like this, est is perfectly normal and expected.

So for a learner, the important thing is:

• Rhodus insula clara est = normal full sentence
• omission of est is possible in some contexts, but not something to assume automatically at this stage

In this sentence, it is best understood as part of the predicate with est:

• Rhodus = subject
• insula clara = what Rhodus is

So this is not just Rhodes, a famous island... as a side remark. It is a full statement: Rhodes is a famous island.

That is why both insula and clara are closely tied to est.

Est is:

• 3rd person
• singular
• present tense
• from sum, esse = to be

So it means he/she/it is.

Here it means is, referring to Rhodus.

In a classical-style pronunciation, approximately:

RHO-dus IN-su-la KLA-ra est

A few notes:

• Rh in Latin words borrowed from Greek was traditionally associated with an aspirated r, though many learners simply pronounce it as r.
• c in clara is always a hard k sound.
• u is pronounced like oo in food.

So clara sounds like KLA-ra, not like English claire-a.

The most immediate grammatical link is with insula, because:

• insula is a noun
• clara is an adjective agreeing with it

So insula clara naturally forms the phrase famous island.

At the same time, because insula clara is predicated of Rhodus, the description applies to Rhodus as well. In other words:

• directly: clara modifies insula
• in meaning: the whole phrase describes Rhodus

That is a very common Latin structure.