LATIN QUOTES AND EXPRESSIONS

Q

Many Latin expressions are used in books and in everyday English speech, and you will certainly find most those phrases listed and translated on my site. However, the existing body of Latin literature, both Classical and Medieval is extremely vast. There are many undiscovered gems of wit and wisdom, so I encourage you to study Latin :) The source for a quote is sometimes indcated, but one must remember that Latin quotations are often used as if they were anonymous maxims of universal wisdom. Unlike the collections of quotes that you will find on some other websites, these lines have been actually looked at more than once by someone who knows Latin. I am sure, however, that some typos have not been fixed, so do not assume that anything you find here is safe and good enough to be tattooed on your person! Always ask a Latinist before using a Latin quote for any permanent purpose.

This site also hosts a plethora of imporant resources about Latin, as well as some other languages. Most notably, there a list of legal Latin maxims. Elsewhere on this site there are Latin phrases used in medicine, heraldry, jewelry engravings, sundials and Latin love poems. There is even a motto generator that lets you create Latin phrases without knowing Latin!

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Qua - In so far as

Quae nocent, saepe docent - What hurts, often instructs. One learns by bitter/adverse experience

Quae vide (qqv) - See these things

Quaere verum - Seek the truth

Quaere - (You might) ask. Used to introduce questions, usually rhetorical or tangential questions

Qualis artifex pereo - Such an artist dies in me (Emperor Nero's famous last words)

Qualis pater talis filius - As is the father, so is the son; like father, like son

Quam bene vivas refert, non quam diu - The important thing isn't how long you live, but how well you live. (Seneca)

Quam se ipse amans sine rivali! - Himself loving himself so much

Quam terribilis est haec hora - How fearful is this hour

Quandam - Formally

Quando omni flunkus moritatus - When all else fails play dead

Quantum meruit - As much as he/she deserved

Quantum sufficit (qs) - As much as suffices

Quaque mane (qm) - Every morning

Quaque nocte (qn) - Every night

Quasi - As if

Quater in die (Q.I.D) - Take four times a day

Quem di diligunt, adolescens moritur - Whom the gods love dies young. (only the good die young)

Quemadmoeum gladis nemeinum occidit, occidentis telum est - A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands. (Seneca)

Qui bene amat bene castigat - Who loves well castigates well. Spare the rod and spoil the child

Qui bene cantat, bis orat - He who sings well, prays twice

Qui bono? - Who benfits?

Qui dedit benificium taceat; narret qui accepit - Let him who has done a good deed be silent; let him who has received it tell it. (Seneca)

Qui desiderat pacem praeparat bellum - Who desires peace [should] prepare [for] war

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum - Let him who wishes for peace prepare for war. (Vegetius)

Qui docet discit - He who teaches learns

Qui dormit, non peccat - One who sleeps doesn't sin

Qui habet aures audiendi audiat - He who has ears, let him understand how to listen

Qui ignorabat, ignorabitur - One who is ignorant will remain unnoticed

Qui me amat, amet et canem meum - Who love mes, let him love my dog

Qui multum habet, plus cupit - He who has much desires more. (Seneca)

Qui nescit dissimlare nescit regnare - He who doesn't know how to lie doesn't know how to rule

Qui nimium probat, nihil probat - One who proves too much, proves nothing

Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit - He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow. (Ovid)

Qui omnes insidias timet in nullas incidit - He who fears every ambush falls into none. (Pubilius Syrus)

Qui potest capere capiat - Let him accept it who can

Qui pro innocente dicit, satis est eloquens - He who speaks for the innocent is eloquent enough. (Publius Syrus)

Qui scribit bis legit - He who writes reads twice

Qui tacet consentire videtur - He that is silent is thought to consent

Qui tacet consentit - Silence gives consent

Qui vivat atque floreat ad plurimos annos - May he live and flourish for many years

Qui vult dare parva non debet magna rogare - He who wishes to give little shouldn't ask for much

Quia natura mutari non potest idcirco verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt - Since nature cannot change, true friendships are eternal. (Horace)

Quid novi? - What's new? 'What's up?'

Quid nunc - What now?! (a nosy busybody)

Quid pro quo - Something for something. i.e. A favor for a favor

Quid quid latine dictum sit, altum videtur - Anything said in Latin sounds profound

Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur - What are you laughing at? Just change the name and the joke's on you. (Horace)

Quidnunc? Or Quid nunc? - What now? As a noun, a quidnunc is a busybody or a gossip

Quidquid agis, prudenter agas et respice finem! - Whatever you do, do cautiously, and look to the end

Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes - Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts. (Vergil)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur - Anything said in Latin sounds profound

Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum - Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble

Quieta non movere - Don't move settled things, or Don't rock the boat

Quinon proficit deficit - He who does not advance, go backwards

Quique amavit, cras amet - May he love tomorrow who has never loved before;

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes - Who shall keep watch over the guardians? (Juvenalis) Don't assign a fox to guard the henhouse

Quis separabit? - Who shall separate us?

Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando? - Who, what, where, with what, why, how, when?

Quo ad hoc - As much as this (to this extent)

Quo animo? - With what spirit? (or intent?)

Quo fas et gloria docunt - Where right and glory lead

Quo iure? - By what law?

Quo usque tandem abutere, catilina, patientia nostra? - How long will you abuse our patience, Catiline? (Cicero)

Quo vadis? - Where are you going? / Whither goest thou?

Quod bonum, felix faustumque sit! - May it be good, fortunate and prosperous! (Cicero)

Quod cibus est aliis, aliis est venenum - What is food to some is poison to others. One man's meat is another poison

Quod cito acquiritur cito perit - [that] which is quickly acquired [is] quickly lost. Eeasy come, easy go

Quod differtur, non aufertur - That which is postponed is not dropped. Inevitable is yet to happen. (Sir Thomas More)

Quod erat demonstrandum (QED) - Which was to be demonstrated

Quod erat faciendum (QEF) - Which was to be done

Quod erat in veniendum - Which was to be found

Quod est (qe) - Which is

Quod incepimus conficiemus - What we have begun we shall finish

Quod licet Iovi non licet bovi - What Jupiter (supreme God) is allowed to do, cattle (people) are not

Quod minimum specimen in te ingenii? - What microscopic evidence of wit can be found in you?

Quod natura non sunt turpia - What is natural cannot be bad

Quod vide (q.v) - Which see (a scholarly gloss)

Quod vide (qv) - See this thing

Quomodo cogis comas tuas sic videri? - How do you get your hair to do that?

Quomodo vales - How are you?

Quorum - Of whom

Quos amor verus tenuit, tenebit - True love will hold on to those whom it has held. (Seneca)

Quot homines, tot sententiae - As many men, so as many opinions