Common Latin Idioms
from Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge, Easy Latin for Sight Reading for Secondary Schools (Boston: Ginn & Co., 1897), pp. 20-23. [1]
ad ūnum: to a man
aequō animō: contentedly, resignedly, patiently
aere aliēnō premī: to be heavily in debt
agere grātiās: to thank
alius aliam in partem: one in one direction, another in another
amicō aliquō ūti: to be on terms of intimacy with some one
animō tenus commovērī: to be moved to the heart
annum quartum agēns: in his fourth year
annōs quattuor nātus: at the age of four
ante annōs: before the legal age
apud rēgem: at the court of the king
bellum īnferre: to make war upon
bene habet: it is well
bonō animō esse: to be well disposed
bonum animum habēre: to be of good courage
capitis damnātus: convicted of a capital crime, sentenced to death
causam dīcere or agere: to state a case, to plead a case
certior fierī: to be informed
certiōrem facere: to inform
cōnsilia inire: to make plans
cōnsulere alicui: to look out for the interest of some one
cōnsulere aliquem: to consult some one, to ask advice of some one
dare operam: to see to, give attention to, take pains
diem dīcere or ēdīcere: to appoint a time, name a day
dum haec geruntur: while this was going on
eō magis: all the more
extrēmā hieme: at the end of winter
ex rē pūblicā: to the best interests of the state
gerere magistrātum: to hold an office
grātiās agere: to thank
grātiam habēre: to be grateful
grātiam or grātiās referre: to return a favor
grātum facere: to do a favor
īdem quī: the same as
idem sentīre: to have the same opinion
in diēs: every day, daily
in dubium vocāri: to be called in question
in fugam dare: to put to flight
in grātiam redīre: to be reconciled
in mātrimōnium dūcere: to marry
in perpetuum: forever
inter cēnam: at table
iūs dīcere: to pronounce judgment
longum est: it would take long, it would be tedious
mandāre litterīs: to commit to writing
memoriā tenēre: to remember
molestē ferre: to take it ill, to be grieved
multum valēre: to be very influential
nāvem cōnscendere: to embark
novae rēs: a revolution
novus homō: an upstart, a parvenu, a self-made man
ōrātiōnem habēre: to make a speech
operam dare: to see to, to take pains
opus est: it is necessary
placuit senātuī: the senate decided
plūrimum posse: to be most powerful, to be most influential
prae sē ferēns: showing, exhibiting
praeclārē sē habēre: to be admirable
prō amicō habēre: to regard as a friend
prō cōntiōne: before the assembly, or in an address
quae cum ita sint: since this is true, under these circumstances, this being the case
quam prīmum: as soon as possible
ratiōnem reddere: to render an account, to give an explanation
rēs gestae: exploits, deeds
salūtem dicere: to salute, to greet
satis cōnstat: it is well established
sē cōnferre: betake oneself, go
sē gerere: conduct oneself, act
sententia stat: it is resolved, they resolve
stīpendium merēre: to perform military service
terga vertere: to retreat
ūnus atque alter: one or two
veniam dare: to pardon
ventum est: he or she came, he or she has come, they came, they have come
vereor nē: I fear that
vereor ut: I fear that not
vītam agere: to live
