De mortuis nil nisi bonum
“Of the dead, say nothing but good.”
Diogenes Laertius, Lives 1.70 (Latin tr. Ambrogio Traversari)
What does “De mortuis nil nisi bonum” mean?
De mortuis nil nisi bonum translates as “Of the dead, say nothing but good.”
Speak kindly of people who have died, or not at all.
“De mortuis nil nisi bonum” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| De | about, concerning | preposition taking the ablative case |
| mortuis | the dead | ablative plural (masculine) of mortuus, “dead”, used as a noun: “the dead” |
| nil | nothing | short form of nihil, “nothing”; the object of an understood “let us say” |
| nisi | except, but | conjunction: “unless, except” |
| bonum | good | accusative singular neuter of bonus, “good”, used as a noun: “something good” |
How to pronounce “De mortuis nil nisi bonum”
The main differences are in mortuis and nisi. Classical stresses the first syllable of mortuis and says nisi with a hard s; Church Latin stresses the second syllable of mortuis and says nisi with a z sound. De sounds like “deh” in both.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “About the dead, nothing except good”. The verb is left out: the sense is “let us say nothing except good about the dead”.
The saying goes back to Chilon of Sparta, counted among the Seven Sages of Greece. It is recorded in Greek by Diogenes Laertius in his Lives of the Philosophers (1.70), where Chilon is credited with the advice not to speak ill of the dead.
The Latin form used today comes from the 15th-century Latin translation of Diogenes Laertius by Ambrogio Traversari. Despite the Latin wording, it is not a line from a Roman author.
It lives on as a rule of courtesy in obituaries, eulogies and funeral speeches, and is often quoted when someone is tempted to criticize a person who has just died.
How to use “De mortuis nil nisi bonum”
Fits a eulogy, a condolence card, an obituary note or a remark that steers a conversation away from criticizing someone who has just died. It also makes a thoughtful tattoo or motto for anyone who values restraint and respect.
- Latin
- De mortuis nil nisi bonum
- English
- Of the dead, say nothing but good.
- Source
- Diogenes Laertius, Lives 1.70 (Latin tr. Ambrogio Traversari)
- Era
- Renaissance
- Theme
- Character
Common mistakes
- It is not a Roman proverb or a line from a classical Latin author. It began as a Greek saying, and this Latin wording is Renaissance.
- Nil is just a short form of nihil. Both mean “nothing”.
- The common shortened form “De mortuis nil nisi bonum” leaves out the verb, so some people mistranslate it as a statement that the dead are good. It is an instruction about what to say.
- Some quote it as a ban on telling the truth about the dead. The saying is about tact and respect, not about denying facts.
Questions about “De mortuis nil nisi bonum”
What does “De mortuis nil nisi bonum” mean literally?
“About the dead, nothing except good.” A verb such as “let us speak” is understood, so in natural English: “Of the dead, say nothing but good.”
Who said “De mortuis nil nisi bonum”?
The idea is credited to Chilon of Sparta, one of the Seven Sages, as recorded in Greek by Diogenes Laertius. The familiar Latin wording comes from Ambrogio Traversari’s 15th-century translation.
How do you pronounce “De mortuis nil nisi bonum”?
In Classical Latin: deh MOR-too-ees nil NIH-see BOH-noom. In Church Latin: deh mor-TOO-ees nil NEE-zee BOH-noom.
Is “De mortuis nil nisi bonum” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a well-formed, widely used Latin phrase. Many people write it in the longer form “De mortuis nil nisi bene”, but “bonum” is the standard wording.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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