Ubi pericula, ibi gloria.
Where dangers (are), there (is) glory.
This formula is very easy to use to make up your own sayings! Here are just a few examples using words you already know:
Ubi scientia, ibi libertas.
Ubi eloquentia, ibi potentia.
Ubi fama, ibi invidia.
In addition, you will see some variations on the formula below that open up even more possibilities!
1. Ubi amor, ibi dolor.
Where love (is), there (is) sorrow.
U-bi A-mor, I-bi DO-lor.
Latin amor means "love," and you can see this root in the English word "amorous."
Latin dolor means "pain, suffering, grief," and you can see this root in English "dolorous" and also in the name Dolores; more about that name at Wikipedia: Dolores. This name belongs to the Christian Latin tradition.
Compare the English saying: "Love hurts."
2. Ubi mel, ibi apes.
Where honey (is), there (are) bees.
U-bi MEL, I-bi A-pes.
Latin mel is honey, and you can see that root in English "mellifluous," which means "flowing like honey" in the sense of sweet, smooth, etc.
2. Ubi mel, ibi apes.
Where honey (is), there (are) bees.
U-bi MEL, I-bi A-pes.
Latin mel is honey, and you can see that root in English "mellifluous," which means "flowing like honey" in the sense of sweet, smooth, etc.
Latin apes are bees, plural; the singular form is apis. You can see that root in English words like "apiary" (a place where beehives are kept) and "apiculture" (beekeeping).
The idea here is that honey is nice and sweet, but where there is something nice and sweet, there can be things that are not nice also ... such as bees. So, if things in your life are sweet as honey, watch out: there will probably be some bees also!
3. Ubi apes, ibi mel.
Where bees (are), there (is) honey .
U-bi A-pes, I-bi MEL.
This saying just reverses the idea of the previous saying: if you are being attacked by metaphorical bees, don't get discouraged. You need to persist until you get to the honey!
4. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Where charity and love (are), God is there.
U-bi CA-ri-tas ET A-mor, DE-us I-bi EST.
Latin caritas originally meant "costliness, preciousness," and then came to mean "esteem, love." Later, it acquired an even more specific meaning in Christian Latin, where caritas is one of the seven Christian virtues; find out more at Wikipedia: Caritas. This Latin word is the origin of the English word "charity."
3. Ubi apes, ibi mel.
Where bees (are), there (is) honey .
U-bi A-pes, I-bi MEL.
This saying just reverses the idea of the previous saying: if you are being attacked by metaphorical bees, don't get discouraged. You need to persist until you get to the honey!
4. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Where charity and love (are), God is there.
U-bi CA-ri-tas ET A-mor, DE-us I-bi EST.
Latin caritas originally meant "costliness, preciousness," and then came to mean "esteem, love." Later, it acquired an even more specific meaning in Christian Latin, where caritas is one of the seven Christian virtues; find out more at Wikipedia: Caritas. This Latin word is the origin of the English word "charity."
Latin et means "and," a conjunction, just like in English. You can see Latin et in English "etc." which is an abbreviation for Latin et cetera, "and others."
Latin Deus is "god," and you can see this root in English words like "deity" and "deify."
This saying is a bit more complex than others because you have a compound noun phrase, caritas et amor, plus a twist in the word order at the end: Deus ibi est. This word order puts a special emphasis on both the words Deus and est; the first and last words in any Latin sentence, clause, or phrase receive the most emphasis.
5. Ubi triticum non est, ibi non est farina.
Where wheat is not, there is no flour.
U-bi TRI-ti-cum NON EST, I-bi NON EST fa-RI-na.
Latin triticum is wheat, and the Latin name is still used as a scientific species name for wheat: Triticum.
5. Ubi triticum non est, ibi non est farina.
Where wheat is not, there is no flour.
U-bi TRI-ti-cum NON EST, I-bi NON EST fa-RI-na.
Latin triticum is wheat, and the Latin name is still used as a scientific species name for wheat: Triticum.
Latin farina is flour, and the word "farina" is used in English also to mean wheat flour; it is also the name of a hot breakfast cereal made of wheat; see Wikipedia: Farina.
This saying is literally true, like the sayings about the bees and the honey, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe a situation where, because you lack one resource (wheat), you cannot proceed with the next step (baking something with flour).
This saying shows you how easy it is to create a negative statement in Latin: you just need to use non with the verb. That is why you see the verb est here: you can omit this verb in a positive statement (Ubi triticum, ibi farina), but if you are going to negate the verb, the verb needs to be included in the statement: non est.
By adding the words et and non to your repertoire, you can create even more Latin ubi/ibi sayings!
Here's a recap:
And here is today's audio:
Plus... LOLCats:
Here's a recap:
- Ubi amor, ibi dolor.
- Ubi mel, ibi apes.
- Ubi apes, ibi mel.
- Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
- Ubi triticum non est, ibi non est farina.
And here is today's audio:
Plus... LOLCats:
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