Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt
“We keep others’ faults before our eyes; our own are behind our backs.”
Seneca, De ira 2.28.8
What does “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt” mean?
Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt translates as “We keep others’ faults before our eyes; our own are behind our backs.”
We see other people’s mistakes clearly and overlook our own.
“Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Aliena | other people’s, belonging to others | neuter plural accusative (agrees with vitia); adjective alienus, "belonging to another" |
| vitia | faults, vices | neuter plural accusative (direct object) of vitium, "fault, vice" |
| in | in, before | preposition, here with the ablative |
| oculis | eyes | ablative plural of oculus, "eye" |
| habemus | we have, we keep | 1st person plural present active indicative of habeo, "I have, hold" |
| a | from, at | preposition with the ablative; the form of ab before a consonant |
| tergo | back | ablative singular of tergum, "back"; a tergo means "behind" |
| nostra | our own | neuter plural nominative, agrees with an understood vitia |
| sunt | are | 3rd person plural present indicative of sum, "I am" |
How to pronounce “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a …”
The main differences are v (w in Classical, v in Church), the ti in vitia (tee or tsee), the ae-like vowels and the g. Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of aliena, habemus and tergo, and on the first syllable of vitia, oculis and nostra.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads "we have others’ faults in our eyes; ours are from the back." The picture is simple: other people’s flaws are in front of us, while our own sit behind us where we cannot see them.
It comes from Seneca’s essay De ira (On Anger), a Stoic work on controlling temper. Seneca was a Roman philosopher and writer of the first century AD. He argues that we judge others too harshly, and that seeing our own faults honestly makes us more patient with theirs.
The thought is much older than Seneca. Today it is quoted in discussions of humility, self-awareness and fair judgement, wherever people point out how easily we spot faults in others while ignoring our own.
How to use “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a …”
A fitting reminder for a desk or journal, a thoughtful tattoo for anyone drawn to Stoicism and humility, or a quote in an essay about self-awareness, judgement or hypocrisy. It also suits a speech about empathy and patience.
- Latin
- Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt
- English
- We keep others’ faults before our eyes; our own are behind our backs.
- Source
- Seneca, De ira 2.28.8
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Humility
Common mistakes
- It does not say we ignore faults in general. It says we notice other people’s faults and overlook our own.
- In nostra sunt, the word vitia is understood, not written. Do not add it when quoting.
- The phrase a tergo means "behind, at the back". Do not translate tergo as "in the end" or "after".
- Some websites shorten or alter the line or credit it to the wrong author. The source is Seneca’s De ira.
Questions about “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a …”
What does “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus” mean literally?
Word for word: "we have others’ faults in our eyes; ours are behind the back." It means we see other people’s flaws easily but not our own.
Who said “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt”?
The line comes from Seneca’s De ira (On Anger), 2.28.8. Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher.
How do you pronounce “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus”?
In Classical Latin: ah-lee-AY-nah WEE-tee-ah in OH-koo-lees hah-BAY-moos. Church Latin differs slightly, with VEE-tsee-ah for vitia.
Is “Aliena vitia in oculis habemus” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. The Latin is correct and comes from a known source. Keep the whole sentence, since the second half completes the thought.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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