Eques equum ducit.

the horse

Breakdown of Eques equum ducit.

• ducere: to lead
• eques: the horseman; cavalryman

Questions & Answers about Eques equum ducit.

Why does eques end in -es if it means just one rider?

Because eques is a singular noun, and its dictionary form happens to end in -es. In Latin, singular nouns do not always end in -us or -a.

Eques means horseman / rider / cavalryman and is a third-declension noun. Its nominative singular form is simply eques.

So:

• eques = the rider / a rider (subject form, singular)

Why is it equum and not equus?

Because equum is the accusative singular form, which marks the direct object of the verb.

In this sentence, the rider is doing the action, and the horse is receiving the action. So:

• eques = subject
• equum = direct object

The basic forms are:

• equus = horse (nominative singular, subject form)
• equum = horse (accusative singular, object form)

Latin changes noun endings to show their job in the sentence.

How do I know who is doing the action?