In verbo tuo
“At your word.”
Vulgate Bible, Luke 5:5
What does “In verbo tuo” mean?
In verbo tuo translates as “At your word.”
Acting on trust in someone else’s word, even when your own experience says it is pointless.
“In verbo tuo” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| In | on, at | preposition governing the ablative here; with the ablative it means “in, on, at”, and the phrase “at your word” means “on the strength of your word” |
| verbo | word | ablative singular of verbum, “word”, neuter (ablative case, after in) |
| tuo | your | ablative singular neuter of tuus, “your”, addressed to one person; it agrees with verbo |
How to pronounce “In verbo tuo”
The only difference is the v, pronounced w in Classical Latin and v in Church Latin. Stress falls on the first syllable of verbo and on the first syllable of tuo.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “in your word”, which in English comes out as “at your word” or “on your word”. It is a short fragment taken from a longer sentence.
It comes from Luke 5:5 in the Vulgate, the Latin Bible translated largely by Jerome in the late fourth century. Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen have worked all night and caught nothing. Jesus tells them to let down the nets again, and Peter answers that he will do so “in verbo tuo”, at your word.
The nets then bring in so many fish that they begin to break. The phrase has lived on as a short way of describing obedience that rests on trust rather than on evidence, and it appears in sermons, devotional writing and church mottoes.
How to use “In verbo tuo”
Suits a tattoo, engraving or desk motto for someone whose faith or trust in another person has carried them through a hopeless-looking task. It also works as a card message or a caption about taking a leap because someone you trust asked you to.
- Latin
- In verbo tuo
- English
- At your word.
- Source
- Vulgate Bible, Luke 5:5
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Faith
Common mistakes
- It is not a full sentence in Latin. In the Vulgate it continues with laxabo rete, “I will let down the net”, so the phrase on its own is a fragment.
- The words have to agree: verbo and tuo are both ablative singular neuter. A change such as “in verba tua” would mean “in your words” (plural) and is a different phrase.
- It does not mean “in your word” in the sense of a written text or a promise made to you. In context it means acting because you were told to by someone you trust.
- Do not confuse it with In principio erat Verbum, the opening of John’s Gospel, where Verbum is the Word in a theological sense.
Questions about “In verbo tuo”
What does “In verbo tuo” mean literally?
Literally “in your word”. In English it is usually put as “at your word” or “on your word”, meaning “because you said so”.
Where does “In verbo tuo” come from?
It comes from the Vulgate Bible, Luke 5:5, where Peter agrees to lower the fishing nets again after a night of catching nothing.
How do you pronounce “In verbo tuo”?
In Classical Latin it is “in WEHR-boh TOO-oh”, and in Church Latin “in VEHR-boh TOO-oh”. Only the v differs.
Is “In verbo tuo” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is correct and comes straight from the Vulgate. Know that it is a fragment, and that tuo is singular, addressed to one person.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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