Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat
“He is rich who thinks he lacks nothing.”
Latin proverb
What does “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat” mean?
Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat translates as “He is rich who thinks he lacks nothing.”
Wealth is a state of mind: contentment makes a person rich, while endless wanting keeps even the wealthy poor. It is a classic Stoic-style reflection on enough.
“Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Dives | rich, a rich person | nominative singular masculine adjective used as a noun; the predicate of est |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| qui | who, the one who | nominative singular masculine relative pronoun; subject of putat |
| sibi | to himself | dative singular of the reflexive pronoun sui; here the dative of the person who lacks something |
| nihil | nothing | indeclinable noun, here the subject of the infinitive deesse |
| deesse | to be lacking | present infinitive of desum, “I am missing, I am lacking”; takes a dative |
| putat | thinks | third person singular present indicative of puto, “I think, I consider” |
How to pronounce “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat”
The main differences are the v (w in Classical, v in Church), the soft c-like sound of Church Latin elsewhere (not needed here), and nihil, which many Church speakers say as nee-keel. Stress falls on the first syllable of dives, sibi and nihil, on the second of deesse, and on the first of putat.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “rich is he who thinks nothing is lacking to himself”. The sense is that being rich depends on how you judge your own situation, not on how much you own.
It is a Latin proverb of unknown authorship, so it cannot be tied to one writer or work. Its thought is at home in Roman moral philosophy: Seneca, for one, argues repeatedly that true wealth is wanting little, and that desire is what makes people poor.
Today it is quoted in discussions of minimalism, contentment and personal finance, often as a short reminder that “enough” is a feeling as much as a number.
How to use “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat”
Works well as a print for a minimalist home, a card for someone choosing a simpler life, or a tattoo or motto about contentment. It also suits an essay on money and happiness.
- Latin
- Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat
- English
- He is rich who thinks he lacks nothing.
- Source
- Latin proverb
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Money
Common mistakes
- It does not say that money is bad or that the rich are not really rich. It says that feeling you lack nothing is what makes a person rich.
- The quote is often credited to Seneca or another named author, but it is a proverb of unknown origin that only echoes their ideas.
- Dives (“rich”) is easily confused with the English “dive”. It is pronounced DEE-wehs in Classical Latin.
- Do not change qui to quae or alter sibi when adapting it for a woman: the pronoun and the reflexive need matching changes, and dives stays the same for both genders.
Questions about “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat”
What does “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat” mean literally?
“Rich is the one who thinks that nothing is lacking to himself.” The natural English is “He is rich who thinks he lacks nothing.”
Who said “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat”?
No one can be named for certain: it is a Latin proverb of unknown authorship. Its ideas are close to those of Roman moralists such as Seneca.
How do you pronounce “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat”?
Classical: DEE-wehs est kwee SIB-ee NIH-hil deh-ES-seh POO-taht. Church Latin changes the v and says nihil as nee-keel.
Is “Dives est qui sibi nihil deesse putat” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the Latin is correct as written. Keep it exactly as is, since changing the ending of any word would alter the grammar.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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