Latin quote · Faith

Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit

“Man proposes, but God disposes.”

Thomas à Kempis, De imitatione Christi 1.19

Translation

What does “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit” mean?

Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit translates as “Man proposes, but God disposes.”

We can make plans, but their outcome is never fully in our hands. It encourages humility and flexibility when things do not go as intended.

Word by word

“Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit” word by word

Latin	English	Grammar
Homo	man, a human being	nominative singular of homo, hominis, “man”; the subject of proponit. Here it means humanity in general
proponit	proposes, sets out a plan	3rd person singular present active indicative of propono, “to put forward, to propose”
sed	but	conjunction, marks the contrast between the two halves
Deus	God	nominative singular of deus, “god”; the subject of disponit
disponit	arranges, disposes	3rd person singular present active indicative of dispono, “to arrange, to set in order”; here it means to decide the final outcome

Pronunciation

How to pronounce “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit”

Classical LatinHOH-moh proh-POH-nit sed DEH-oos dis-POH-nit

Church LatinOH-moh proh-POH-nit sed DEH-oos dis-POH-nit

The two versions differ only in the h of homo, which is sounded in Classical Latin and usually silent in Ecclesiastical Latin. The stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of proponit and disponit, so the two verbs rhyme.

Origin & context

The story behind it

Word for word the line says “man proposes, but God disposes”. The two verbs, proponit and disponit, are a matching pair, and the neat contrast is part of why the saying stuck.

It appears in Thomas à Kempis’s De imitatione Christi (The Imitation of Christ), a devotional book written in the early 15th century and read very widely in medieval and later Christian Europe. The passage is usually cited as book 1, chapter 19.

The thought itself is older than Thomas. In the form found in his book it became a proverb that exists in many European languages. In English “dispose” here keeps its old sense of “arrange or settle”, which is why the line sounds slightly archaic today.

When to use it

How to use “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit”

It suits a speech or card about plans that changed course, a retirement message, or a planner or journal cover. It also works as a tattoo or motto for someone who wants a reminder to hold plans loosely.

Latin: Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit
English: Man proposes, but God disposes.
Source: Thomas à Kempis, De imitatione Christi 1.19
Era: Middle Ages
Theme: Faith

Good to know

Common mistakes

“Disponit” does not mean “disposes of” in the sense of throwing away. It means arranges or decides.
The Latin has no “but” in the sense of resentment: sed simply sets the two halves against each other.
Do not turn it into plural by changing only the nouns. Homines proponunt, sed Deus disponit needs the first verb to change too.
The line is often quoted as a Bible verse. It is not; it comes from Thomas à Kempis, though it echoes ideas such as Proverbs 16:9.

FAQ

Questions about “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit”

What does “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit” mean literally?

“Man proposes, but God disposes.” People make plans, but God arranges how things actually turn out.

Who said “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit”?

It comes from Thomas à Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ (De imitatione Christi 1.19), written in the early 15th century. It later became a common proverb.

How do you pronounce “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit”?

Classically: HOH-moh proh-POH-nit sed DEH-oos dis-POH-nit. In Church Latin the h is silent: OH-moh proh-POH-nit sed DEH-oos dis-POH-nit.

Is “Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit” correct Latin for a tattoo?

Yes, the grammar is sound and it is a well-known historical text. If you want it about several people, you would need to change homo and proponit to plural forms.

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