| 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.