Latin proverbs
This is a list of Latin and Roman proverbs and sayings.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- Absentem laedit, qui cum ebrio litigat.
- Translation: "He who quarrels with a drunk hurts an absentee."
- ad astra per aspera
- Translation: "To the stars through difficulties"
- Notes: motto of . (more frequently as "per aspera ad astra")
- Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.
- "As long as a sick person is conscious (or, has a good character, or reacts), there is still hope."
- Amor patriae nostra lex.
- Translation: "Love of the fatherland is our law."
- Alea iacta est.
- Translation: "The die is cast!"
- Notes: said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the , contrary to law.)
- Aquila non capit muscas.
- Translation: "The eagle does not catch flies."
- Ars longa, vita brevis.
- Translation: "Art is long, life is short."
- Asinus asinorum in saecula saeculorum.
- Translation: "The greatest jackass in eternity."
- Audiatur et altera pars.
- Translation: "The other part should be heard, too."
- Auri sacra fames.
- Translation: "The accursed hunger for gold."
- Full Quote: "quod non mortalia pectora coges, auri sacra fames"
- Translation: "What aren't you able to bring men to do, miserable hunger for gold!" - Seneca
B
- Beatus, qui prodest, quibus potest.
- Translation: "He is lucky who helps everyone he can." or, very differently, "He is lucky the one who gets an advantage from those on which he has some power."
- Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur.
- Translation: "Something that is well diagnosed can be cured well."
- Bis dat, qui cito dat.
- Translation: "He who gives quickly gives twice."
- Bona diagnosis, bona curatio.
- Translation: "Good diagnosis, good cure."
- Bona valetudo melior est quam maximae divitiae.
- Translation: "Good health is worth more than the greatest wealth."
C
- Cibi condimentum est fames.
- Translation: "Hunger is a spice for any meal."
- Concordia civium murus urbium.
- Translation: "Harmony of citizens is the wall of cities."
- Consuetudinis vis magna est.
- Translation: "The power of habit is great."
- Consuetudo altera natura est.
- Translation: "Habit is second nature."
- Contraria contrariis curantur.
- Translation: "Opposites are cured by their opposites."
- Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis.
- Translation: "There's no herb against the power of death."
- Cura, ut valeas!
- Translation: "Take Care, that you may be well!"
D
- De gustibus non est disputandum.
- Translation: "Matters of taste ought not to be disputed."
- De mortuis nihil nisi bene.
- Translation: "Of the dead, nothing but good.; Say only good things about the dead."
- Deliriant isti Romani.
- Translation: "They are mad, those Romans"; -- , and comic
- Divide et impera.
- Translation: "Divide and govern."
- Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
- Translation: Horace, Odes III, 2, 13 -- "It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland."
- Dum spiro, spero.
- Translation: "As long as I breathe, I hope."
- Dura lex, sed lex.
- Translation: "It may be a hard law, but it still is the law."
- Dura necessitas.
- Translation: "Necessity is harsh."
E
- E fructu arbor cognoscitur.
- Translation: "The tree can be recognized by its fruits."
- Errare humanum est. Perseverare diabolicum.
- Translation: "To err is human. To repeat error is of the Devil."
F
- Festina lente !
- Translation: "Make haste slowly" - proceed quickly but with caution, a motto of Augustus Caesar.
- Fide, sed qui, vide.
- Translation: "Trust but take care whom."
- Fortes fortuna uvat. or Audaces fortuna juvat.
- Translation: "Fortune favors the brave."
G
- Gloria victis.
- Translation: "Glory to the defeated."
- Gutta cavat lapidem non vi, sed saepe cadendo.
- Translation: "A drop drills the rock not with force but by falling repeatedly."
H
- Habent sua fata libelli.
- Translation: "Books have their fate."
- Hannibal ante portas.
- Translation: "Hannibal before the gates," i.e. wasting time while the enemy is already here.
- Hic Rhodus, hic salta.
- Translation: "It's Rhodos, jump here." Aesop
- Hodie mihi, cras tibi.
- Translation: "What's to me today, tomorrow to you."
- Homines quod volunt credunt.
- Homo homini lupus est.
- Translation: "Man is a wolf to man." Hobbes
- Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto. "I am human, so nothing that is human is foreign to me." Terence, Teautontimoroumenos.
I
- Ignorantia iuris nocet.
- Translation: "Being ignorant of law harms."
- Ignorantia legis non excusat.
- Translation: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
- Ignoti nulla cupido.
- Translation: "The unknown does not tempt."
- Inter arma enim silent leges (Musae).
- Translation: "During wars laws" (or "arts") "are silent." Cicero, Oratio Pro Annio Milone (IV)
- In vino veritas.
- Translation: "There is truth in wine." That is, "Wine in excess will bring out truth."
- Is fecit, cui prodest.
- Translation: "Done by the one who profits from it."
- Iurare in verba magistri.
- Translation: "Swear by teacher's words."
- Iustitia omnibus.
- Translation: "Justice for all."
L
- Laborare est orare.
- Translation: "To work is to pray."
- Laborare omnia vincit.
- Translation: "Labor conquers all."
M
- Manus manum lavat.
- Translation: "One hand washes the other."
- Medicus curat, natura sanat.
- Translation: "The doctor cares [for his patient], nature heals [him]."
- Memento mori.
- Translation: "Remember your mortality." Also, ironically, "Remember to die." it is the motto of the Friars of Trappa.
- Mens sana in corpore sano.
- Translation: "A healthy spirit in a healthy body." (This quotation is out of context: As quoted here, it appears to say that a healthy body is the prerequisite for a healthy spirit, but that's not how it was meant initially. The complete quote is Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano, which means "Let's hope that there is a healthy spirit in a healthy body.")
- Munit haec et altera vincit.
- Translation: "One defends and the other conquers" (motto of .)
N
- Naturo abhorret a vacuo.
- Translation: "Nature abhors a vacuum."
- Nec Hercules contra plures.
- Nemo me impune lacessit.
- Translation: "No-one attacks me with impunity," the Scots national motto.
- Neque ignorare medicum oportet quae sit aegri natura.
- Nihil lacrima citius arescit.
- Translation: "Nothing dries more quickly than a tear."
- Nil sine numini.
- Translation: "Nothing without Providence."
- Nomen est omen.
- Translation: "A name is an omen."
- Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo.
- Translation: "I was not, I was, I am not, I don't care." (found on tombstones abbreviated NFFNSNC)
- Non omnia possumus omnes.
- Translation: "All of us cannot do everything."
- Non scholae, sed vitae discimus.
- Translation: "We don't learn from school but from life."
- Non ut edam vivo, sed ut vivam edo.
- Translation: "I don't live to eat, but I eat to live."
- Non vestimentum virum ornat, sed vir vestimentum.
- Translation: "Not the raiment graces the man, but the man the raiment."
- Non vini vi no, sed vi no aquae.
- Nondum amabam, et amare amabam.
- Translation: "I did not love, even if I yearned to love."
- Nosce te ipsum!
- Translation: "Know thyself!"
- Nulla dies sine linea.
- Translation: "No day without a line."
- Nulla est medicina sine lingua Latina.
- Translation: "No medicine without Latin."
- Nulla regula sine exceptione.
- Translation: "No rule without exception."
- Nulla res tam necessaria est quam medicina.
- Translation: "Nothing is so necessary as medicine."
O
- Oculi plus vident quam oculus.
- Translation: "Several eyes see more than only one."
- Omne ignotum pro magnifico.
- Translation: "Everything unknown passes for miraculous."
- Omnes homines sibi sanitatem cupiunt, saepe autem omnia, quae valetudini contraria sunt, faciunt.
- Translation: "All men wish to be healthy, but often they do everything that's disadvantageous to their health."
- Omnia mea mecum porto.
- Translation: "All that's mine I carry with me."
- Omnia vincit amor.
- Translation: "Love conquers all."
- Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est.
- Translation: "Medicine is the noblest of all arts."
- Optimum medicamentum quies est.
- Translation: "Peace is the best medicine."
- Ora et labora.
- Translation: "Pray and work."
P
- Pax melior est quam iustissimum bellum.
- Translation: "Peace is better than the most just war."
- Pecunia not olet.
- Translation: "Money does not smell'' (Remark by Vespasian on the plan to tax public urinals.)
- Per aspera ad astra.
- Translation: "Through hardships to the stars." (The motto of .)
- Per scientiam ad salutem aegroti.
- Translation: "To heal the sick through knowledge."
- Perspecite potestatem caesi.
- Translation: "Behold the power of cheese."
- Plenus venter non studet libenter.
- Translation: "A full belly doesn't like studying."
- Plures crapula quam gladius perdidit.
- Translation: "Drunkenness takes more lives than the sword."
- Post cenam non stare sed mille passus meare.
- Translation: "Do not rest after dinner, but walk a mile."
- Post hoc non est propter hoc.
- Translation: "'After this' is not 'because of this'."
- Praesente medico nihil nocet.
- Translation: "In the presence of a doctor nothing can harm."
- Praevenire melius est quam praeveniri.
- Translation: "It is better to precede than to be preceded."
- Primum non nocere.
- Translation: "First, do no harm" (a physician's principle).
Q
- Quidquid agis, prudenter agas, et respice finem!
- Translation: "Whatever you do, may you do it prudently, and toe the line!"
- Quidquid discis, tibi discis.
- Translation: "Whatever you learn, you learn it for yourself."
- Quidquid id est timeo puellas et oscula dantes.
- Translation: "Whatever it is, I fear the girls, even when they kiss."
- Qui rogat, non errat.
- Translation: "Who asks isn't wrong."
- Qui scribit, bis legit.
- Translation: "Who writes, reads twice."
- Qui tacet, consentire videtur.
- Translation: "Who is silent seems to agree."
- Qui transtulit sustinet.
- Translation: "He who transplanted still sustains." (motto of - "He" refers to God, who transplanted them from England to the New World.)
- Qui vult dare parva non debet magna rogare.
- Translation: "He who wishes to give little shouldn't ask for much."
- Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.
- Translation: "All that is allowed to Jupiter is not necessarily allowed to an ox."
- Quod medicina aliis, aliis est acre venenum.
- Translation: "One person's medicine is another's foul poison."
- Quot capita, tot sententiae.
- Translation: "As many opinions as people."
R
- Repetitio est mater studiorum.
- Translation: "Repetition is the mother of study."
- Repetita iuvant.
- Translation: "Repetition is useful", or "Repeating things helps".
S
- Saepe morborum gravium exitus incerti sunt.
- Translation: "The effects of serious illnesses are often unknown."
- Salus aegroti suprema lex.
- Translation: "The well-being of the patient is the most important law."
- Sic transit gloria mundi.
- Translation: "Thus passes worldly glory." In Bible; repeated during the coronation of the Pope.
- Similia similibus curantur.
- Translation: "Like cures like."
- Sine labore non erit panis in ore.
- Translation: "Without work there won't be any bread in your mouth."
- Si decem habeas linguas, mutum esse addecet.
- Translation: "Even if you had ten tongues, you should hold them all."
- Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.
- Translation: "If you had kept your silence, you would have stayed a philosopher."
- Si vis pacem, para bellum.
- Translation: "If you want peace, prepare war."
- Si vis pacem, para iustitiam.
- Translation: "If you want peace, prepare justice."
- Summum ius summa inuria.
- Translation: "More law, less justice."
T
- Tarde venientibus ossa.
- Translation: "For those who come late, only the bones."
- Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis.
- Translation: "The times are changed, and we are changed in them."
- Tempus Fugit.
- Translation: "Time Flies."
- Tres faciunt collegium.
- Translation: "Three makes a company."
U
- Ubi concordia, ibi victoria.
- Translation: "Where there is harmony, there is victory."
- Ubi fumus, ibi ignis.
- Translation: "Where there's smoke, there's fire."
- Ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia.
- Translation: "Where you are, Gaius, there I, Gaia, will be.'' (This is said to have been a nuptial formula, but it is only known from Greek sources.)
- Unum castigabis, centum emendabis.
- Translation: "If you reprove one error, you will correct a hundred."
- Usus magister est optimus.
- Translation: "Practice makes perfect."
- Ut ameris, amabilis esto.
- Translation: "Be amiable, then you'll be loved."
- Ut incepit fidelis, sic permanet.
- Translation: "Loyal she began, and loyal she remains" (motto of ).
- Ut sis nocte levis, sit cena brevis!
- Translation: "That your sleeping hour be peaceful, let your dining hour be brief!" (Sis is one hour before sunset.)
V
- Ventis secundis, tene cursum.
- Translation: "Go with the flow."
- Verba docent, exempla trahunt.
- Translation: "Words instruct, illustrations lead."
- Vox populi, vox dei.
- Translation: "The voice of the people is the voice of God."
See also: List of proverbs.