Ὁ βίος βραχύς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή
Ho bios brachys, hē de technē makrē
“Life is short, but the art is long.”
Hippocrates, Aphorisms 1.1
What does “Ho bios brachys, hē de technē makrē” mean?
There is never enough time to master a craft fully. Hippocrates meant medicine: a lifetime is too short to learn everything a good doctor needs to know.
The story behind it
These are the opening words of the Aphorisms, a collection of medical maxims attributed to Hippocrates of Kos (5th century BC). Seneca quotes the idea in Latin at the start of On the Shortness of Life.
From Greek to Latin
Ho bios brachys, hē de technē makrē
The Latin version reverses the order: ars longa, vita brevis.
How to say it
Roughly ho BEE-os bra-KHOOS, hay deh TEKH-nay ma-KRAY.
How to use it today
A meaningful line for medical graduates, artists, musicians and anyone devoted to a craft.
- Greek
- Ὁ βίος βραχύς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή
- Transliteration
- Ho bios brachys, hē de technē makrē
- English
- Life is short, but the art is long.
- Latin
- Ars longa, vita brevis
- Source
- Hippocrates, Aphorisms 1.1
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