Lucia post cenam in bibliotheca verba nova discere mavult.

Lucia is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

This is a first-declension noun/name, and the nominative singular form is Lucia. In English, subjects usually do not change form much, and here Latin works similarly: Lucia is simply Lucia because she is the one doing the action.

Because post is a preposition that takes the accusative case.

So:

• post = after
• cena = dinner / meal
• cenam = accusative singular of cena

That means post cenam literally means after dinner or after the meal.

This is something you often just have to memorize with Latin prepositions: each one regularly takes a certain case.

Because in can take two different cases depending on the meaning:

• in + ablative = in / on (location, where something is)
• in + accusative = into / onto (motion toward a place)

Here, in bibliotheca means in the library as a location, so Latin uses the ablative.

Compare:

• in bibliotheca = in the library
• in bibliothecam = into the library

So the sentence is talking about where Lucia prefers to study, not where she is going.

In many printed texts without macrons, bibliotheca can look the same in the nominative singular and ablative singular.

The difference is clearer if macrons are written:

• nominative: bibliotheca
• ablative: bibliothecā

Even without macrons, the preposition tells you the case here. Since in with the meaning of location takes the ablative, in bibliotheca must mean in the library.

So learners often rely on:

1. the preposition,
2. the meaning,
3. and context.

Verba nova is in the accusative plural, because it is the direct object of discere (to learn).

Breaking it down:

• verbum = word
• verba = words (neuter plural)
• novus, -a, -um = new
• nova agrees with verba

Because verba is neuter plural accusative, the adjective must match it, so you get verba nova.

This is a good example of adjective agreement in Latin:

• same gender
• same number
• same case

Both verba nova and nova verba are possible Latin.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammar. So the adjective can come before or after the noun.

In many cases, the difference is not huge. Sometimes word order can slightly affect emphasis or style, but often both are perfectly normal.

So here, verba nova simply means new words, and you should not assume that post-position automatically makes the adjective strange or wrong.

Because mavult is followed by a complementary infinitive.

In English, we do something similar:

• She prefers to learn
• to learn = infinitive

In Latin:

• mavult = she prefers
• discere = to learn

So discere completes the meaning of mavult. It tells us what Lucia prefers to do.

Mavult means she prefers or she would rather.

It is the 3rd person singular present active indicative of malle, which means to prefer.

A useful way to understand it is historically:

• magis = more
• vult = wants

So mavult is basically an old contracted form meaning something like wants more → prefers.

This verb is irregular, so it is worth learning as its own pattern:

• malo = I prefer
• mavis = you prefer
• mavult = he/she/it prefers

That is a very common Latin pattern.

Latin often places the main finite verb near the end of the sentence, and an infinitive that depends on it often comes just before it. So:

• discere mavult = prefers to learn

This order is natural in Latin, even though English would usually put the main verb earlier:

• Lucia prefers to learn...

So the position of mavult at the end is not unusual at all.

Yes, to a large extent.

Because Latin uses case endings, many word orders are possible, for example:

• Lucia verba nova post cenam in bibliotheca discere mavult.
• Post cenam Lucia in bibliotheca verba nova discere mavult.

These all keep basically the same core meaning.

However, changing the order can change the focus or emphasis. For instance:

• putting post cenam earlier can emphasize when
• putting in bibliotheca earlier can emphasize where
• keeping mavult at the end gives the sentence a very Latin feel

So Latin word order is flexible, but not random.

It is a prepositional phrase expressing time: after dinner.

A learner should notice two things:

1. post is a preposition taking the accusative
2. the whole phrase functions adverbially, telling us when Lucia prefers to learn

So in this sentence:

• post cenam = when?
• in bibliotheca = where?
• verba nova = what?
• discere = to do what?
• mavult = what Lucia prefers

This is a nice example of how Latin packs a lot of information into endings and phrases.