Nimium ne crede colori
“Don’t trust appearances too much.”
Virgil, Eclogues 2.17
What does “Nimium ne crede colori” mean?
Nimium ne crede colori translates as “Don’t trust appearances too much.”
Beauty can deceive.
“Nimium ne crede colori” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Nimium | too much, too far | adverb of nimius, “excessive”; here it modifies crede |
| ne | do not | negative particle; with a command in poetry it works as “do not” |
| crede | trust, believe | singular command (imperative) of credo, “I trust”; addressed to one person |
| colori | (in) colour, complexion | dative singular of color, “colour”; credo takes the dative for the thing you trust |
How to pronounce “Nimium ne crede colori”
The main difference is the i, which is short “ih” in Classical and long “ee” in Church Latin. Stress falls on the first syllable of nimium, the first of crede and the second of colori.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “do not trust too much in colour”. Here color means a person’s complexion, and so, by extension, good looks and outward show.
It comes from Virgil’s second Eclogue, a pastoral poem from the 30s BC. A shepherd named Corydon pines for a beautiful boy, Alexis, who ignores him. In the line he speaks to Alexis, and he also seems to address himself, warning that beauty is not to be relied on.
In Virgil the warning comes with a nearby image of a fading flower. Later readers have taken the line out of its pastoral setting and turned it into a general caution that looks can mislead.
How to use “Nimium ne crede colori”
It suits a caption about first impressions, a short motto for someone wary of surface appearances, or a tattoo for those who value substance over looks. It also works in an essay about vanity or deception.
- Latin
- Nimium ne crede colori
- English
- Don’t trust appearances too much.
- Source
- Virgil, Eclogues 2.17
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It is not a command to distrust everyone. Nimium means “too much”, so the advice is to avoid relying on looks, not to reject them.
- Nimium is an adverb here. It is not a noun meaning “excess”.
- Colori is dative singular. Writing colorem or color would be wrong after credo, which takes the dative for the thing you trust.
- The line is often quoted as universal wisdom, but in Virgil it is spoken by a lovesick shepherd to a beautiful boy.
Questions about “Nimium ne crede colori”
What does “Nimium ne crede colori” mean literally?
“Do not trust too much in colour”. Color here means complexion, so the sense is “do not rely too much on outward appearance”.
Who said “Nimium ne crede colori”?
It is from Virgil’s Eclogues 2.17, spoken by the shepherd Corydon to the boy Alexis.
How do you pronounce “Nimium ne crede colori”?
In Classical Latin: NIH-mih-oom neh KREH-deh koh-LOH-rih. In Church Latin the i sounds like “ee”: NEE-mee-oom neh KREH-deh koh-LOH-ree.
Is “Nimium ne crede colori” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is correct and taken directly from Virgil. Be aware that it was originally addressed to a handsome boy and is about misplaced trust in beauty.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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