Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere
“It is harder to mend harmony than to break it.”
Latin saying
What does “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere” mean?
Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere translates as “It is harder to mend harmony than to break it.”
A friendship or peace can be ruined in a moment, but repairing it takes a long time. Think before you break it.
“Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Difficilius | harder, more difficult | comparative adjective (neuter nominative singular) of difficilis, “difficult”; agrees with the infinitive phrase that follows, which acts as the subject |
| est | is | 3rd person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| sarcire | to mend, to repair | present infinitive of sarcio, “I mend, patch up”; the first of two infinitives, the subject of the sentence |
| concordiam | harmony, concord | accusative singular of concordia, “harmony”; the object of sarcire |
| quam | than | conjunction used after a comparative |
| rumpere | to break | present infinitive of rumpo, “I break”; the second thing compared. Its object concordiam is understood from the first half |
How to pronounce “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere”
The two versions differ mainly in the c: hard k in Classical (sarcire, concordiam), soft ch before i in Church Latin (difficilius, sarcire). Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of difficilius, sarcire and rumpere, and on the second syllable of concordiam.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “harder is to mend harmony than to break”. Both verbs are infinitives, so the sentence compares two actions: mending and breaking. Concordia, literally a state of “hearts together”, is the Latin word for harmony, agreement and peace between people.
No author is known for the saying, and it is usually shared simply as a Latin proverb or traditional maxim. It fits a long tradition of practical sayings that point out how uneven damage and repair are: a quarrel takes a moment, reconciliation takes patience.
Today it is quoted about friendships, families, teams and even nations. It works as a warning before a rash word or act rather than as a gloomy remark: if repair is so costly, it is worth thinking before you break something.
How to use “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere”
It suits a card to a friend after a quarrel, a speech on teamwork or diplomacy, a tattoo or engraving about valuing relationships, or an essay on conflict and reconciliation. It also makes a quiet desk motto for anyone who tends to speak in anger.
- Latin
- Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere
- English
- It is harder to mend harmony than to break it.
- Source
- Latin saying
- Era
- Traditional
- Theme
- Friendship
Common mistakes
- Sarcire means to mend or patch up, not to forgive. The saying is about repairing a relationship, not about pardon.
- Concordiam is accusative because it is the object of the verbs. If you use the word on its own, for a motto or name, the form is concordia.
- Do not take it as saying that repair is impossible. It says repair is harder, not that it cannot be done.
- Do not credit it to a famous author such as Cicero or Seneca. No source is known, so “Latin saying” is the honest label.
Questions about “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere”
What does “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere” mean literally?
“It is harder to mend harmony than to break it.” Both mending (sarcire) and breaking (rumpere) are infinitives, so the sentence compares the two actions.
Who said “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere”?
The author is not known. It is a traditional Latin saying, and it is best described as a proverb rather than credited to a named writer.
How do you pronounce “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere”?
In Classical Latin: dif-fih-KIL-ee-oos EST sar-KEE-reh kon-KOR-dee-ahm KWAHM ROOM-peh-reh. In Church Latin the c before i becomes ch, as in sar-CHEE-reh.
Is “Difficilius est sarcire concordiam quam rumpere” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound and the sense is clear. It is a long phrase, so check the spelling and word spacing with the tattoo artist, and keep the endings exactly as written.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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