| Acta est fabula. (August) |
Drama has been acted out. |
| Ad augusta per angusta. |
To high places by narrow roads. |
| Ad hoc. |
Exactly for that. Also: Not prearranged, informal. |
| Ad honorem. |
In honor. Honor not baring any material advantage. |
| Ad libitum. |
Freely. Without restraint, as desired. |
| Alea iacta est. (Julius Caesar) |
The die is cast. The decision has been made. |
| Alter ego
. (Zeno) |
Another I. Soul mate, close friend. |
| Alter ipse amicus. |
A friend is another self. |
| Ars gratia artis. |
Art for art's sake. Art has its own sense. |
| Audiatur et altera pars! |
Let us hear the opposite side! |
| Carpe diem.
(Horace) |
Seize the day. |
| Cogito, ergo sum. (Descartes) |
I think, therefore I am. |
| Conditio sine qua non. |
Condition that cannot (be done) without. Essential condition. |
| Corpus delicti. |
The body of a crime. The facts of a crime. |
| Cum grano salis. (Pliny the Elder) |
With a grain of salt. Take something not literally, with due consideration. |
| Curriculum vitae. |
The run of life. |
| De facto.
|
In fact. |
| De iure.
|
By law. According to law. |
| De gustibus non est dispuntandum. |
Tastes are not to be argued. |
| Dimidium facti qui coepit habet. |
He who has begun has the job half done. (Horace) |
| Divide et impera. |
Part and rule. Roman maxima of ruling the subdued nations. |
| Dulcius ex asperis. |
Through difficulty, sweetness. |
| Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) |
As long as I breathe, I hope. |
| Dura lex, sed lex.
|
The law is hard, but it is law. |
| Eram quod es, eris quod sum. |
I was what you are, you will be what I am. (grave inscription) |
| Errare humanum est. (Seneca) |
It is human to make a mistake. |
| Et tu, Brute!
(Julius Caesar) |
You too, Brutus! Even you have betrayed me! |
| Eventus stultorum magister. |
Events are the teacher of the stupid persons. |
| Ex abrupto. |
Without preparation. |
| Ex cathedra. |
From the chair. With authority (without argumentation). |
| Ex gratia. |
By moral (not legal) obligation. |
| Ex libris. |
From the library (of). |
| Exempli gratia. (e.g.) |
For example. |
| Faber quisque fortunae suae. |
Each man (is) the maker of his own fortune. |
| Facta, non verba! |
Deeds, not words! |
| Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. |
False in one thing, false in all. |
| Festina lente!
|
Rush slowly! Do not hasten! |
| Fiat justitia, ruat caelum. |
Let justice be done, even though the heavens collapse. |
| Fortes Fortuna adjuvat. (Terence) |
Fortune aids the brave. |
Gutta cavat lapidem (non vi, sed
saepe cadendo). (Ovid)
|
The water drop drills stone (not by the force, but by falling often). The endurance can overcome the obstacle even without the force. |
| Historia est vitae magistra. |
The history is the tutor of life. |
| Homines, dum docent, discunt. |
While men teach they learn. (Seneca) |
| Homo homini lupus.
(Plautus) |
Man is a wolf to man. |
| Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto. |
I am human, therefore nothing human is strange to me. |
| In medias res. |
In the midst of things. |
| In medio stat virtus. (Horace) |
Virtue stands in the middle. |
| In memoriam.
|
In memory (of). |
| In vino veritas. |
The truth is in wine. A drunk person tells the truth. |
| Inter caecos regnat strabo. (Erasmus) |
Among blinds the squinting rules. |
| Lapsus linguae.
|
Error of the tongue. |
| Lapsus memoriae.
|
Error of the memory. |
| Manus manum lavat. (Petronius) |
One hand washes the other. The favor for the favor. |
| Mea culpa. |
By my guilt. |
| Mens sana in corpore sano. |
A sound mind in a sound body. (Juvenalis) |
| Nemo sine vitio est.
|
No one is without fault. (Seneca the Elder) |
| Nil novi sub sole. (Bible) |
Nothing new under the sun. |
| Nomen est omen. |
The name is the sign. |
| Non omne quod nitet aurum est. |
Not everything that is shining is gold. |
| Non plus ultra!
|
Nothing above that! |
| Non uno die Roma aedificata est. |
Rome was not built in one day. |
| Nosce te ipsum! |
Know thyself. |
| Nota bene.
|
Observe carefully. |
| Occasio aegre offertur, facile amittitur. (Publius Syrus) |
Opportunity is offered with difficulty, lost with ease. |
| Omnia vincit amor. |
Love conquers all. |
| Panem et circenses
. (Juvenalis) |
Bread and circuses. Food and games to keep people happy. |
Parva scintilla saepe magnam
flamam excitat.
|
The small sparkle often initiates a large flame. |
| Pecunia non olit.
|
Money doesn't stink. |
| Pede poena claudo. (Horace) |
Punishment comes limping. Retribution comes slowly, but surely. |
| Per aspera ad astra. |
Through the thorns to the stars. |
| Persona non grata. |
An unwelcome person. |
| Post tenebras lux. |
After darkness, light. |
| Primus inter pares.
|
First among equals. |
| Quae nocent, saepe docent. |
What hurts, often instructs. One learns by bitter/adverse experience. |
| Qui multum habet, plus cupit. |
He who has much desires more. (Seneca) |
| Quid pro quo.
|
Something for something. A reciprocal exchange, something given in compensation, esp. an advantage. |
| Quod erat demonstrandum. |
What was to be demonstrated.. |
| Quod licet Iovi non licet bovi. |
What Jupiter (supreme God) is allowed to do, cattle (people) are not. |
| Quod natura non sunt turpia. |
What is natural cannot be bad. |
| Repetitio est mater studiorum. |
Repeating is the mother of learning. |
| Scio me nihil scire
. (Socrates) |
I know that I know nothing. Certain knowledge cannot be obtained. |
| Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos. |
If God is with us who is against us. |
| Si vis pacem, para bellum. Vegetius |
If you want peace, prepare for the war. |
| Si sapis, sis apis. |
If you are wise, be a bee. |
| Sic transit gloria mundi. |
Thus passes the glory of the world. |
| Sine die. |
Without a date. Without a date limit. Unknown period of time. |
| Sol omnibus lucet. (Petronius) |
The sun shines upon all. |
| Status quo.
|
The present state of affairs. |
| Summum ius, summa iniuria. |
Highest law, greatest injustice. |
| Tabula rasa. |
A clean slate. Person that knows nothing. |
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur
in illis. (Ovid)
|
Times are changing, and we are changing within them. |
| Tempus fugit. |
Times run. |
| Ubi bene, ibi patria. |
Where you feel good, there is your home. |
| Ubi concordia, ibi victoria. |
Where is the unity, there is the victory. |
| Vade mecum. |
Come with me. A constant companion. |
| Varietas delectat. |
The diversity is delighting. |
| Veni, vidi, vici! (Julius Caesar) |
I came, I saw, I conquered. Easy accomplishment. |
| Verba movent, exempla trahunt. |
Words move people, examples compel them. Deeds, not words, give the example. |
| Verba volant, scripta manent. |
The words fly away, the writings remain. |
| Veritas numquam perit. (Seneca) |
Truth never perishes. |
| Vice versa.
|
Turn in place. The other way round. |
| Vis maior. |
Higher force. |
| Vitam regit fortuna, non sapientia. |
Fortune, not wisdom, rules lives. (Cicero) |
| Vivere disce, cogita mori. |
Learn to live; Remember death. |
| Vox populi, vox Dei. |
The voice of the people is the voice of God. Public opinion is obligatory. |
| Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat. |
Every (hour) wounds, the last kills. |
| Vulpem pilum mutat, non mores. |
A fox may change its hair, not its tricks. |
Масолова Елена, школа 1257.
Latin proverbs and locutions.
Links to other Latin proverbs' and locutions' sites.
