Famous Latin Phrases That We Should Know

Pecunia non olet → Money does not stink

Varium et mutabile semper femina → Woman is ever a fickle and changeable thing

Scientia potentia est → Knowledge is power

Dum spiro, spero → While I breathe, I hope

Per aspera ad astra → Through hardships to the stars

Terra incognita → Unknown (undiscovered) land

Docendo discimus → By teaching, we learn

Memento mori → Remember that you have to die

Homo sapiens → Wise man

Clavus clavo pellitur → A nail is driven out by another nail (habit is overcome by habit)

A priori → From the earlier (initially, obviously)

Errare humanum est → To err is human

Primus inter pares → First among equals


Repetitio est mater studiorum → Repetition is the mother of study/learning

Mens sana in corpore sano → A sound mind in a sound body

Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas → Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend

Homo locum ornat, non locus hominem → It is not the place that honors the man, but the man the place

Una hirundo ver non facit → One swallow does not make summer

Citius, altius, fortius → Faster, higher, stronger

Sic transit gloria mundi → Thus passes the glory of the world

Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis → Times change, and we change with them

Veni, vidi, vici → I came, I saw, I conquered

Alea iacta est → The die is cast

De mortuis aut bene, aut nihil → Of the dead, nothing unless good

Si vis pacem, para bellum → If you want peace, prepare for war

Qui non zelat, non amat → He that is not jealous, does not love

Cui bono? → For whose benefit?

Scio me nihil scire → I know that I know nothing

Nosce te ipsum → Know thyself

Qui tacet, consentire videtur → Silence equals consent

Odi et amo → I hate and I love

Non est fumus absque igne → There is no smoke without fire

Divide et impera → Divide and rule

O tempora! O mores! → Oh the times! Oh the customs!

Homo homini lupus est → A man is a wolf to another man

Vox populi, vox Dei → The voice of the people is the voice of God

In vino veritas → In wine (there is the) truth

Qualis rex, talis grex → Like king, like people

Si vox est, canta! → If you have a voice, sing!

Tempus consilium dabet → Time will show

Fortes fortuna juvat → Fortune favors the brave

Omnia mea mecum porto → All my things I carry with me

Festina lente → Make haste slowly

Lupus non mordet lupum → A wolf does not bite a wolf

Vae victis! → Woe to the conquered!


Tertium non datur → No third (possibility) is given

Amor vincit omnia → Love conquers all

Aut Caesar, aut nihil → Either a Caesar or nothing (all or nothing)

Si vis amari, ama → If you wish to be loved, love!

Timeo danaos et dona ferentes → I fear the Danaans, even those bearing gifts

Suum cuique → To each his own

Manus manum lavat → One hand washes the other

Abyssus abyssum invocat → Hell calls hell (one mistep leads to another)

Aquilam volare doces → You are teaching an eagle to fly

Panem et circenses! → Bread and circuses!

Si felix esse vis, esto → If you want to be happy, be so!