English To Latin Translation: "life Is Beautiful"

[Guest RMB]

Greetings,

I'd like to translate the phrase "Life is Beautiful" into Latin.

Here is what I have so far:

"vita pulchra est"

"vita bella"

"vita est pulchra"

"vita est bella"

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers.

[pompeius magnus]

vita pulchra est is the correct translation as vita is the subject so is in the nomitive case, with pulchra acting as an adjective so it is in nomitive also, and est is the verb so it commonly goes last. their are other ways to say it also using different nouns and adjectives too.

[P.Clodius]

I thought "Bella", "Bellum" etc meant war?

[Guest RMB]

Thank you so much for your help.

I'll attempt to explain where this phrase comes from, and hopefully this will confirm that "vita pulchra est" is an apt translation.

This phrase was written by Leon Trotsky. While being targeted for execution, he was staring out of a window and watching his wife in the garden. This scene inspired Trotsky to write that life is beautiful, even though his world was coming to an end.

 

It's not exactly a physical beauty, rather each word is supposed to be complimentary of each other - beauty = life and life = beauty.

 

I hope that "vita pulchra est" is still the ideal translation. If there is a more applicable translation, with regards to the above description of the phrase, then I'd love to hear it!

 

Kind regards,

Ryan

[pompeius magnus]

The translation you gave fits the meaning. Latin has many words that mean the same thing but in different instances, pulcher is good for your purpose. And bellum does mean war, but confusingly bellus, an adjective, means beautiful.

[Zeke]

I though Bellum ment war?

 

Zeke

[pompeius magnus]

bellum is a second declension neutered noun, whereas bellus is an adjective of the first and second declension, so could be bellus, bella, or bellum, bella is where the english word belle is derived from meaning beautiful.

[Guest che]

I need help translating "my father, my friend" to Latin

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Pater meus, amicus. or Pater mea, amicus meus.

 

Darn, I keep forgetting gender difference

Edited December 29, 2005 by FLavius Valerius Constantinus

[Q Valerius Scerio]

I know its old now, but bellum (war) actually comes duellum - a duel. Beautiful is bellus, -a, -um, an adjective as pompeius rightly said. Consider bello, -a in Italian or belle in French.

 

So you have either "vita bella est" or "vita pulchra est". Pulchra probably is closer to "pretty" than beautiful, though. I'd prefer the former.

 

As for "my father, my friend" - if your father were Roman and you said that to him, he'd beat you senseless! Constantinus just told you to call your father a girl - not something advisable. The correct answer should be "pater meus, amicus meus" or also "Meus pater, meus amicus".

 

If you want to address you father directly, like, "Hello to you, my father, my friend" - you would use the vocative instead: "Bene tibi, me pater, me amice."

 

For your father as a direct object, like "I love my father, my friend" - you would say: "Meum patrem, meum amicum amo."

 

As an indirect object, such as "I give this gift to my father, my friend" - use: "Patri meo, amico meo donum do."

 

If it's plain old "My father, my friend" that you want - like on a coffee mug - try "Pater meus, Amicus meus."

[Q Valerius Scerio]

And I just realized, Constantini constructio "Pater meus, amicus" also works as well. Maybe even "Meus pater, amicus."

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

*bangs head on desk* Haha, I'm pretty reckless. I gotta start noticing gender difference. There's always something I forget to remember.

Edited December 29, 2005 by FLavius Valerius Constantinus

[Guest che]

*bangs head on desk* Haha, I'm pretty reckless. I gotta start noticing gender difference. There's always something I forget to remember.

 

Miles de gracias

Edited December 30, 2005 by che

[Guest che]

Hello all, I have one more phrase that I need translated.

 

"Rest in Peace"

 

Thank you in advance

 

 

Buen Dia

[Andrew Dalby]

Hello all, I have one more phrase that I need translated.

 

"Rest in Peace"

 

Thank you in advance

 

 

Buen Dia

 

I suspect that was said in Latin before it was said in English. The standard Latin version is

 

Requiescat in pace

 

Which means literally 'may he/she rest in peace'

 

OK?