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.