Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos
“As long as you are lucky, you will count many friends.”
Ovid, Tristia 1.9.5
What does “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos” mean?
Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos translates as “As long as you are lucky, you will count many friends.”
In good times friends are many. Hard times show who your real friends are.
“Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Donec | as long as, while | conjunction introducing a time clause |
| eris | you will be | future indicative, 2nd person singular, of sum, “I am” |
| felix | fortunate, lucky | nominative singular adjective (masculine or feminine), agreeing with the unstated subject “you”; dictionary form felix, felicis |
| multos | many | accusative plural masculine of multus, “much, many”; agrees with amicos |
| numerabis | you will count | future indicative active, 2nd person singular, of numero, “I count” |
| amicos | friends | accusative plural masculine of amicus, “friend”; direct object of numerabis |
How to pronounce “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos”
The two systems sound almost identical here, since there is no c or g before e or i except the ordinary hard c in donec. The final c of donec is a k sound in both. Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of numerabis and amicos.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “as long as you will be fortunate, you will count many friends”. Latin uses the future tense in both halves, where English prefers “as long as you are lucky”.
It comes from Ovid’s Tristia, poems he wrote after Augustus banished him from Rome to Tomis on the Black Sea in 8 AD. The poem 1.9 is about how friendship behaves when fortune turns, and it goes on to say that when the sky is cloudy you will be alone.
The couplet is now one of the best-known Latin sayings on false friends. It is quoted in essays and speeches about loyalty, and often heard in its proverbial form.
How to use “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos”
Fits a card or message to a friend who stood by you in hard times, an essay on loyalty or fair-weather friends, or a tattoo or print for someone who values a small circle of true friends. Better as a sober reminder than a cheerful toast.
- Latin
- Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos
- English
- As long as you are lucky, you will count many friends.
- Source
- Ovid, Tristia 1.9.5
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Friendship
Common mistakes
- It does not say you will have many friends. It says you will count many, and the poem’s point is that they vanish when luck does.
- Felix is also a name and means “happy” in English, but here it means “fortunate, lucky”, a matter of fortune rather than mood.
- The quote is only the first half of a couplet. Ovid continues that if the times turn cloudy you will be alone, so the line alone is not the full thought.
- Addressing a woman or a group changes nothing for felix in the singular, but for several people you would need the plural: donec eritis felices, multos numerabitis amicos.
Questions about “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos”
What does “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos” mean literally?
“As long as you will be fortunate, you will count many friends.” The idea is that popularity follows good luck.
Who said “Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos”?
The Roman poet Ovid, in his Tristia (1.9.5), written during his exile from Rome.
How do you pronounce “Donec eris felix”?
In Classical Latin: DOH-nek EH-ris FEH-leeks. The Church pronunciation sounds the same for these words.
Is “Donec eris felix” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the Latin is correct and complete as a line. Keep in mind it is only half of Ovid’s couplet and its tone is a warning about fair-weather friends.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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