Inter faeces et urinam nascimur
“We are born between feces and urine.”
Latin saying (often attributed to St Augustine)
What does “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur” mean?
Inter faeces et urinam nascimur translates as “We are born between feces and urine.”
A blunt reminder of human humility: however great we become, we all enter the world the same way. It is used to puncture pride.
“Inter faeces et urinam nascimur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Inter | between, among | preposition taking the accusative case |
| faeces | feces, dregs, sediment | accusative plural of faex, faecis (feminine), “dregs, sediment”; object of inter |
| et | and | conjunction joining faeces and urinam |
| urinam | urine | accusative singular of urina, urinae (feminine), “urine”; object of inter |
| nascimur | we are born | first person plural present indicative of nascor, “I am born” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
How to pronounce “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur”
Classical gives hard c and ae as “eye” (FYE-kace); Church Latin gives ch before e or i, sh before sc plus i, and ae as “eh”. The stress falls on IN in inter, the first syllable of faeces, the second of urinam, and the first of nascimur.
The story behind it
Word for word the saying reads “between feces and urine we are born”. Faeces is the plural of faex, which originally meant dregs or sediment, here used in the crude sense of excrement.
It is often attributed to St Augustine, but it is not found in his works, and its true origin is uncertain. It belongs to a medieval tradition of meditations on human lowliness, in which writers reminded readers of the humble, bodily side of life.
The line is still quoted today when someone wants to deflate pride or stress that rich and poor, rulers and commoners all begin life the same way.
How to use “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur”
A provocative epigraph for an essay on humility, the human body or the limits of human pride. It also suits a speech or a dark-humoured caption that wants to puncture self-importance. It is blunt, so it fits poorly on a card or tattoo meant for a general audience.
- Latin
- Inter faeces et urinam nascimur
- English
- We are born between feces and urine.
- Source
- Latin saying (often attributed to St Augustine)
- Era
- Middle Ages
- Theme
- Humility
Common mistakes
- Do not credit it to Augustine as a fact. It is only often attributed to him, and no passage in his works has been found.
- Faeces is the plural form. The singular is faex, so changing the number means changing the word, not just the ending.
- The verb is nascimur (“we are born”), not natus sum, which would mean “I was born”. Nascimur is a deponent verb, passive in form but active in meaning.
- The Latin is a blunt, crude phrase. Softer translations such as “between filth and urine” hide how coarse it really is.
Questions about “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur”
What does “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur” mean literally?
“Between feces and urine we are born.” It points to the lowly, bodily circumstances of every human birth.
Who said “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur”?
It is often attributed to St Augustine, but it is not found in his works. Its real origin is uncertain, and it reflects medieval writing on human lowliness.
How do you pronounce “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur”?
Classical: IN-ter FYE-kace et oo-REE-nam NAH-skih-moor. Church: IN-ter FEH-chess et oo-REE-nam NAH-shee-moor.
Is “Inter faeces et urinam nascimur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
The grammar is sound: inter takes the accusative, and nascimur is the correct first person plural form. Its crude wording and uncertain attribution make it a deliberate, provocative choice.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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