Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur
“What is well diagnosed is well cured.”
Latin medical maxim
What does “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur” mean?
Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur translates as “What is well diagnosed is well cured.”
A correct diagnosis is half the cure, in medicine and in life. Before fixing any problem, take the time to understand exactly what it is.
“Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Bene | well | adverb, the usual adverb from bonus, “good”; it modifies both verbs |
| diagnoscitur | is diagnosed, is recognised | third person singular present passive (indicative) of diagnosco, “I distinguish, I recognise”; the subject is understood: “what/that which” |
| bene | well | the same adverb, repeated for balance |
| curatur | is cured, is treated | third person singular present passive (indicative) of curo, “I care for, I treat” |
How to pronounce “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur”
The two versions differ only in diagnoscitur: Classical has a hard k sound (-NOHS-kih-), Church Latin has a soft sh sound (-NOH-shih-). Stress falls on the first syllable of bene, the third-to-last of diagnoscitur (-NOHS-) and the second-to-last of curatur (-RAH-).
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “well it is diagnosed, well it is treated”. Latin has no word for “what”, so the subject is left understood: whatever has been well diagnosed is also well cured.
It is a traditional Latin medical maxim with no known individual author or ancient source, so it is best treated as a proverb of the medical tradition. It is related to the variant “qui bene diagnoscit, bene curat” (“he who diagnoses well, treats well”).
The verb diagnosco comes from Greek, and diagnosis as a medical term is modern, which fits the early modern era given for the maxim. Its English counterpart is “a disease known is half cured”. The thought applies well beyond medicine to any problem you have to understand before you can fix it.
How to use “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur”
It suits a gift for a medical graduate, a sign in a consultant’s or doctor’s office, or a slide or heading in a talk on diagnosis. It also works as a motto for anyone in troubleshooting, such as engineers, IT support or mechanics.
- Latin
- Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur
- English
- What is well diagnosed is well cured.
- Source
- Latin medical maxim
- Era
- Early modern
- Theme
- Health
Common mistakes
- It does not claim that diagnosis alone cures. The point is that good treatment depends on a good diagnosis.
- Both verbs are passive (“is diagnosed”, “is cured”). Writing diagnoscit, curat would give the active “he diagnoses, he treats”, a different sentence.
- It is a proverb, not a line from Hippocrates or Galen, and it is wrong to credit it to either.
- Diagnoscitur is often misspelled with a single c or as “diagnostur”. The correct form has -sc- before -itur.
Questions about “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur”
What does “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur” mean literally?
“Well it is diagnosed, well it is treated.” In natural English: what is well diagnosed is well cured.
Who said “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur”?
No author is known. It is a traditional Latin medical maxim, related to the variant “qui bene diagnoscit, bene curat”.
How do you pronounce “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur”?
Classical: BEH-neh dee-ag-NOHS-kih-toor BEH-neh koo-RAH-toor. Church Latin softens the c, giving -NOH-shih-toor.
Is “Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is grammatically sound: an adverb plus a passive verb in each half. It is a proverb rather than a classical quotation, so it suits medical or personal-motto uses.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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