latin translation please?

Question

does anyone know how to say " be yourself and be humble" in latin the online translation said existo vesrti quod existo humilis.. is that right ? if not, could you give me the right translation.. please.. thanks.

Answer 1

Well, the Spanish isn't right since it's not Latin. The online translation is meaningless. Martox45's is closer to real, but has problems.

Es tu ipse et modestus. (Modesta for female)

The verb sum, esse would be followed by the nominative, not the accusative. Humilis does mean humble, but in a negative sense.

Added: Most references, including Allen and Greenough Grammar and Wheelock, list 'es' and 'este' as singular and plural imperatives for esse, although I would agree that hortatory subjunctive would work. Humilis just seems to have much more neagative connotation than seems to be intended. Smith and Hall, for example, says "usu. in bad sense" when applied to disposition. I would still use modestus as Cicero did in Oratio pro Plancio, where it is translated as unassuming.

Answer 2

The translations you have received are absolute rubbish. That's what you get when you use online translators. I always caution people against getting a tattoo in a language they have never studied. There may be subtleties of meaning you do not understand, or the translation may not capture the meaning you are looking for. Also, any of us are capable of making a mistake or typo, which will then become permanent on your body. Finally, there are many ways to translate even a simple phrase or sentence. Proceed at your own risk. Here is my translation: ubi verba deficiunt, cantus loquuntur Where (or when) words fail, songs speak. Again, I advise you not to get it tattooed on your body, especially since my Latin is a bit rusty.

Answer 3

Tom is on the right track, but you don't want an indicative form, which 'es' is. His Latin sentence says "you are yourself and humble."

An imperative would work, but the form for the 2nd person imperative of the verb 'to be' is rather rare, and creates some other problems not worth getting into.

If you want to be quite literal, a better solution would be to use a jussive subjunctive:

Sis ipse et humilis.--"May you be yourself and humble."

While grammatically correct, this does not strike me as how a Roman writer would have expressed this sentiment.

The options below are perhaps better:

Esse te ipsum verum atque humilem est optimum.
To be [your] true self and humble is best.

Conare esse te verum atque humilem.
Endeavor to be your true self and humble.


While Tom is right that humilis can have a negative connotation, I think it is closer to the intended meaning here than modestus, which means something more along the lines of reserved.

Answer 4

That's my human translation :
Es te ipsum atque humilis
I feel it's right but in any case much better than the pure garbage outcoming from all online translators.

Answer 5

This translation is from Intertran www.tranexp.com

exsisto vestri quod exsisto humilis

It was the only site I could find to translate English to Latin...
When I put it in as above, Latin to English, the English translation came back as:
to emerge yourself and to emerge lowly

sounds one in the same to me...:)

Hope this helped some....

Answer 6

ser esté y ser humilde = be yourself and be humble