Specus sub aggere longus est.

The covered channel is long beneath the embankment.

Breakdown of Specus sub aggere longus est.

• esse: to be
• longus: long
• sub: under
• specus: the covered tunnel of an aqueduct

Questions & Answers about Specus sub aggere longus est.

What case is specus, and why?

Specus is nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

In Specus sub aggere longus est, the basic structure is:

• specus = the thing being talked about
• longus est = is long

So specus is the noun that is long.

Why is longus not longum or longa?

Because longus is an adjective agreeing with specus.

Latin adjectives must match the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, specus is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

That gives longus.

Is specus a second-declension noun because it ends in -us?

No. Even though specus ends in -us, it is actually a fourth-declension noun.