Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
“To err is human, to persist in error is diabolical.”
Later proverb (after Augustine, Sermons 164.14)
What does “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum” mean?
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum translates as “To err is human, to persist in error is diabolical.”
Mistakes are normal – refusing to learn from them is not.
“Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Errare | to err, to make a mistake | present infinitive of erro, “I wander, I go wrong”; here the subject of the sentence (“to err”) |
| humanum | human, part of being human | neuter nominative singular adjective, agreeing with the infinitive errare; from humanus |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| perseverare | to persist, to keep on | present infinitive of persevero, “I persist, I continue”; second subject (“to persist”) |
| diabolicum | diabolical, of the devil | neuter nominative singular adjective, agreeing with perseverare; from diabolicus; est is left out and understood |
How to pronounce “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum”
The differences are small: classical sounds the h in humanum and says w for v, while the church style drops the h and says v. The stress is the same in both: er-RA-re, hu-MA-num, per-se-ve-RA-re, di-a-BO-li-cum.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “to err is human, to persist is diabolical”. Latin leaves out the second “is” and the words “in error”, so the second half is shorter than any English version.
The thought has deep roots. Cicero wrote in the Philippics that any man can err, but only a fool persists in error. Seneca made a similar point. Augustine of Hippo, in one of his sermons (164.14), says that erring is human, but remaining in error out of pride is diabolical.
The neat two-part form that people quote today is a later proverb built on these older ideas, so it should not be credited to Augustine or Cicero as their exact words. It is now used in schools, offices and engineering, wherever people talk about learning from failure.
How to use “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum”
A good fit for a classroom or office wall, a speech or essay about learning from failure, a card for someone who has made a mistake, or a tattoo for a person who values growth. The second half carries the point: it is about refusing to learn, not about the error itself.
- Latin
- Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
- English
- To err is human, to persist in error is diabolical.
- Source
- Later proverb (after Augustine, Sermons 164.14)
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It is not an exact quotation from Augustine or Cicero. Both express the idea, but this short proverb form came later.
- The line often gets cut to “Errare humanum est”. That keeps only the forgiving half and drops the warning about persisting in error.
- Diabolicum does not mean “evil” in a general sense. It means “of the devil”, the stronger, theological word, which is why the line feels harsh.
- The words are neuter singular because they agree with infinitives. Do not change the endings to masculine or feminine to fit a speaker.
Questions about “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum”
What does “Errare humanum est” mean literally?
“To err is human.” It uses the infinitive errare as the subject, with humanum as a neuter adjective: making mistakes is part of being human.
Who said “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum”?
No single person. It is a later proverb that distils ideas found in Cicero, Seneca and Augustine, especially Augustine’s Sermon 164.14.
How do you pronounce “Errare humanum est”?
In classical Latin: eh-RAH-reh hoo-MAH-noom est. In church Latin the h is silent: eh-RAH-reh oo-MAH-noom est.
Is “Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound. Both infinitives are subjects, both adjectives are neuter, and the second est is understood. Many people tattoo only the first half, which changes the message.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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