Colere cupio hominem et agrum
“I wish to cultivate both the person and the field.”
Latin motto
What does “Colere cupio hominem et agrum” mean?
Colere cupio hominem et agrum translates as “I wish to cultivate both the person and the field.”
The motto joins farming and education: the same care that improves the soil should also form human character. It suits anyone who sees growth of people and land as one task.
“Colere cupio hominem et agrum” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Colere | to cultivate | present infinitive active of colo, “I till, tend, cultivate”; the object of cupio |
| cupio | I wish | first person singular present indicative active of cupio, “to wish, desire” |
| hominem | the person | accusative singular of homo, “human being, person”; object of colere |
| et | and | conjunction joining hominem and agrum |
| agrum | the field | accusative singular of ager, “field, farmland”; object of colere |
How to pronounce “Colere cupio hominem et agrum”
The main difference is the h in hominem: it is sounded in Classical Latin and silent in the Church style. The stress falls on the first syllable of colere, cupio and hominem, and on the first syllable of agrum.
The story behind it
Word for word the motto says “to cultivate I wish the person and the field”. The English adds “both” to bring out the pairing of the two objects, which the Latin joins simply with et.
The verb colere is the key. It first means to till and tend land, and it is the root of English “culture” and “cultivate”. Latin writers also used it for tending a person’s mind, a skill or a custom, which is the double sense the motto relies on.
The origin of the motto is not firmly established. It is a modern Latin sentence, and no particular institution, author or date can be confirmed here, so it should not be credited to any specific school or person. It fits agricultural education well, where care for land and care for people are treated as one task.
How to use “Colere cupio hominem et agrum”
It works as a motto for an agricultural college, a farm school, a community garden or a rural education project. It also suits a personal motto for someone who teaches or mentors and also grows things.
- Latin
- Colere cupio hominem et agrum
- English
- I wish to cultivate both the person and the field.
- Source
- Latin motto
- Era
- Modern Latin
- Theme
- Nature
Common mistakes
- It is not a classical Roman quotation. Do not credit it to Cicero, Virgil or any ancient author.
- Colere is an infinitive that depends on cupio, so “cultivate” should not be changed to a finite form such as colo without changing the structure of the sentence.
- Hominem and agrum are accusatives. If you change either word, for example to a plural, the ending must change with it.
- Homo means “human being” and is not restricted to men, so “person” is the closer translation, though older English renderings often say “man”.
Questions about “Colere cupio hominem et agrum”
What does “Colere cupio hominem et agrum” mean literally?
Literally “to cultivate I wish the person and the field”. In natural English: “I wish to cultivate both the person and the field.”
Who said “Colere cupio hominem et agrum”?
No author is known. It is a modern Latin motto and its first user cannot be confirmed, so it is best cited simply as a Latin motto.
How do you pronounce “Colere cupio hominem et agrum”?
In Classical Latin: KOH-leh-reh KOO-pee-oh HOH-mih-nem et AH-groom. In Church Latin the h of hominem is silent.
Is “Colere cupio hominem et agrum” correct Latin for a tattoo or sign?
Yes, the grammar is sound: an infinitive after cupio with two accusative objects. Just remember that it is a modern motto, not an ancient quotation.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.