It refers to a rhetorical strategy where the speaker attacks the other person rather than the substance of the argument itself. Short for argumentum ad hominem (literally meaning ‘argument against the person’). You probably heard these but never knew what they meant. While he did this in an attempt to push for the war, nowadays the expression can be used figuratively as a way to express your absolute support for an idea. Prior to the Third Punic War between Rome and Carthage, Cato the Censor, a Roman politician, used to conclude all his speeches to the Senate with this phrase. In other words, act upon it or always follow your declarations with actions. Similar to res, non verba, the English equivalent of this phrase is “actions speak louder than words”. That scene is very tragic indeed, but nowadays, the phrase can be used jokingly to condemn a friend’s change of heart. Upon recognizing his friend, Marcus Junius Brutus, as one of the assassins, Julius Caesar utters these last words. This Latin quote appears in William Shakespeare‘s play “Julius Caesar” at the very moment of Caesar’s assassination. This Latin saying suggests that you’ll probably spill all your secrets if you drink too much alcohol. What Descartes doesn’t know is that nowadays people prefer the bibo, ergo sum version which literally means “I drink, therefore I am”.īe careful if you carpe vinum on that Friday night out we talked about. Using some Latin phrases here and there will automatically make you look smarter.Ī dictum (‘a short statement that expresses a general truth’) coined by French philosopher René Descartes in Latin. Either way, the general meaning is to make the most of everything. And speaking of night, you should also remember the carpe noctem variation which literally translates to ‘seize the night’. The only Latin phrase you’ll ever need on a Friday night out. Luckily, we have an even better one: carpe vinum. Probably the most popular Latin phrase of modern times. The meaning of this phrase refers to the point of no return. These are nearly as famous as Julius Caesar himself.įamously attributed to Julius Caesar in a message he supposedly sent to the Roman Senate to describe his swift, conclusive victory against King Pharnaces II of Pontus near Zela in 47 BC.Īnother Latin phrase said by Julius Caesar upon crossing the Rubicon to enter Italy and begin the long civil war against Pompey and the Optimates. Common Latin phrases you heard at least once While they may impress your friends (and foes) if used mindfully, the contrary can also be true if you’re too overzealous. Avoid using Latin sayings and phrases ad nauseam (’to a sickening or excessive degree’) in your discourse. So let’s start with the meaning of carpe diem, ad hoc, status quo, et cetera.īut first, a quick remark. You know what they say - you can’t fully enjoy the main course without a proper aperitif. You’ll impress everyone with your exquisite choice of words.Ĭarpe diem and other common Latin phrases and wordsīefore diving into the really cool Latin words and phrases, we have to make a quick stop in the ‘most common Latin phrases’ station. confidently at the end of your conclusion. To show off how you logically proved something, use Q.E.D.

or quod erat demonstrandum (’what was to be demonstrated’) – which, by the way, is the mic drop of Latin phrases. You know me: semper fidelis to the vanilla.Īs you probably already guessed, semper fidelis means ’always faithful’ or ‘always loyal’. Do you want the chocolate ice cream or the vanilla ice cream? Didn’t you notice how inserting some Latin words here and there automatically makes someone look smarter? Even the dullest conversation can become an erudite discussion if you use the right Latin sayings. But one thing is sure: Latin phrases are nowadays the cooler siblings of slang words. It’s unclear whether Latin made a comeback or it has been this cool for hundreds of years. Carpe diem, et cetera, cum laude, curriculum vitae and mea culpa are just a few of the Latin phrases still widely used today. Far from being a dead language, Latin is very much alive in our day-to-day conversations.

Carpe diem memento mori