Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime
“Take care to say nothing except what you know very well.”
Latin saying
What does “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime” mean?
Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime translates as “Take care to say nothing except what you know very well.”
Speak only about what you truly understand. It protects you from embarrassment and others from false information.
“Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Cave | take care, beware | imperative singular of caveo, “to beware, take care”; addressed to one person |
| quicquam | anything | neuter accusative singular of the indefinite pronoun quisquam; used after a negative or a warning |
| dicas | you say | present subjunctive, 2nd person singular, of dico, “to say”; cave with a bare subjunctive is a warning not to do something, “beware of saying” |
| nisi | except, unless | conjunction introducing the exception |
| quod | what | neuter accusative singular of the relative pronoun quod; “that which”, the object of scieris |
| scieris | you know | perfect subjunctive, 2nd person singular, of scio, “to know”; subjunctive because the clause depends on another subjunctive (the same form can also be read as future perfect) |
| optime | very well | superlative adverb of bene, “well”; literally “best” |
How to pronounce “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime”
Scieris is stressed on its first syllable, SCI, because the syllable before the last is short; cave, quicquam, dicas, nisi and optime are also stressed on the first. Classical Latin says v as w and sc as sk; Church Latin says v as v and sc before i as sh.
The story behind it
Word for word the saying runs “beware that you say anything, except what you know best”, that is, say nothing you do not know very well.
No author is known. It is an anonymous Latin maxim, and no ancient text containing it has been identified.
The idea matches a long tradition of advice against speaking beyond your knowledge. Today it fits any setting where accuracy and humility matter, from classrooms to online discussion.
How to use “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime”
Works well as a motto for a student, researcher, teacher or writer, a caption on a desk print, or a reminder before you comment on a topic you have not studied.
- Latin
- Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime
- English
- Take care to say nothing except what you know very well.
- Source
- Latin saying
- Era
- Traditional
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- The verb after quod is scieris (“you know”), not sciris or scies; it is a form of scio, “to know”.
- Cave dicas means “beware of saying”, a warning not to say. Cave ne dicas is an equivalent form, but adding ut would be wrong.
- Quicquam is the form that follows a negative or a warning; quidquam is an accepted spelling of the same word, but quicquid (“whatever”) is a different word.
- Optime means “very well” or “best”, not “perfectly”; the sense is thorough knowledge, not flawless knowledge.
Questions about “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime”
What does “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime” mean literally?
Roughly “Beware that you say anything, except what you know best.” In natural English: say nothing unless you know it very well.
Who said “Cave quicquam dicas, nisi quod scieris optime”?
No author is known. It is an anonymous traditional Latin saying, so it should not be credited to a named ancient writer.
How do you pronounce “Cave quicquam dicas”?
In Classical Latin: KAH-weh KWIK-kwahm DEE-kahs. In Church Latin: KAH-veh KWEEK-kwahm DEE-kahs.
What form is scieris in “nisi quod scieris optime”?
It is most naturally read as the perfect subjunctive of scio, “to know”, used because the clause depends on the subjunctive dicas. The same spelling can also be a future perfect indicative.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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