Et tamen stellae
“And yet, the stars.”
Latin motto
What does “Et tamen stellae” mean?
Et tamen stellae translates as “And yet, the stars.”
The phrase admits difficulty yet points upward: whatever the darkness, the stars are still there. It is a short expression of stubborn hope.
“Et tamen stellae” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Et | and | conjunction; here it adds the stars to whatever came before |
| tamen | yet, nevertheless | adverb; marks a contrast with what has just been admitted |
| stellae | the stars | nominative plural (feminine) of stella, “star”; Latin has no word for “the”, so it is added in English |
How to pronounce “Et tamen stellae”
The two differ only in the ending: classical -ae sounds like “eye”, church -ae like “eh”. Stress falls on the first syllable of tamen and on stel- in stellae. Stellae has a double l, so the l is held slightly longer.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “and yet, stars”. Latin has no word for “the”, so English supplies it: “And yet, the stars.” It is a fragment, which gives it its force: the sentence stops and only the stars are left.
This is a modern Latin motto and is not found in classical literature, so it should not be credited to a Roman author. Its pattern is Latin, though: Romans often used et tamen to push back against a point just conceded.
The stars were a steady image for ancient writers, who used them for navigation, for the order of the heavens and for aspiration. This line draws on that picture, with darkness assumed and the stars named as what remains.
How to use “Et tamen stellae”
Fits a minimalist tattoo, a journal cover or a line on a card for someone getting through a hard stretch. It also works as a short personal motto where a longer quote would feel heavy.
- Latin
- Et tamen stellae
- English
- And yet, the stars.
- Source
- Latin motto
- Era
- Modern Latin
- Theme
- Hope
Common mistakes
- It is not a classical quote, so do not present it as Cicero, Seneca or any other ancient author. Call it a modern Latin motto.
- Stellae here is plural (“stars”). The singular is stella, which would change the meaning to “And yet, the star.”
- Do not drop et or tamen. “Tamen stellae” alone loses the “and” that links the line to the darkness it answers.
- It is not the same as “Per aspera ad astra” (“through hardships to the stars”), a different and much more widely known motto.
Questions about “Et tamen stellae”
What does “Et tamen stellae” mean literally?
“And yet stars.” In natural English it reads “And yet, the stars.” Latin has no “the”, so English adds it.
Who said “Et tamen stellae”?
No one known. It is a modern Latin motto, not a line from a classical author, so any ancient attribution is wrong.
How do you pronounce “Et tamen stellae”?
In classical Latin: “et TAH-men STEL-lye”. In church Latin the last word is “STEL-leh”. Stress the first syllable of tamen and the stel- of stellae.
Is “Et tamen stellae” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. The words and endings are correct: stellae is nominative plural, and et tamen is good Latin. Since it is a modern phrase, it is best to call it a motto.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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