Non omnibus unum est quod placet
“Not everyone likes the same thing.”
Latin saying
What does “Non omnibus unum est quod placet” mean?
Non omnibus unum est quod placet translates as “Not everyone likes the same thing.”
Tastes differ.
“Non omnibus unum est quod placet” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Non | not | adverb of negation; it negates the whole statement |
| omnibus | for everyone, to all | dative plural (masculine) of omnis, “all, every”; “for all people”, the ones to whom the thing is pleasing |
| unum | one, the same | nominative singular neuter of unus, “one”; here “one and the same thing” |
| est | is | 3rd person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| quod | which, that which | relative pronoun, nominative singular neuter; subject of placet |
| placet | it pleases | 3rd person singular present indicative of placeo, “I please”; with a dative it means “is pleasing to”, hence “is liked by” |
How to pronounce “Non omnibus unum est quod placet”
The two differ only in a few vowels and in the c of placet, hard (k) in Classical and soft (ch) in Church Latin. Stress falls on the first syllable of omnibus and of placet, and on the first syllable of unum.
The story behind it
Word for word the saying runs “not for all is there one thing which pleases”, that is, not everyone is pleased by the same thing. The Latin is built around a dative of the people pleased, omnibus, which is how Latin says “to be liked by”.
No author is known, and it is best treated as a traditional saying rather than a quotation from a particular work. It states in a few words an observation that Latin writers voiced in many forms: people differ in taste, and no single choice satisfies everyone.
Today it is handy wherever differing preferences need a gentle, good-humoured defence: matters of taste in food, art, music or style.
How to use “Non omnibus unum est quod placet”
Suits a caption or a card message when people disagree over taste, a light-hearted reply to a critic, or a desk motto for anyone who makes things for an audience. As a tattoo it says that you accept other people’s different tastes, and your own.
- Latin
- Non omnibus unum est quod placet
- English
- Not everyone likes the same thing.
- Source
- Latin saying
- Era
- Traditional
- Theme
- Opinion
Common mistakes
- It is about taste and preference, not about right and wrong. It does not say that every opinion is equally true.
- Do not read omnibus as “in all things”. It is a dative of persons, “for all people”.
- The word order is unusual. Reading it as “not all is one” misses the point; the sense is “not everyone is pleased by one and the same thing”.
- It is a traditional saying, not a verse of a famous poet. Be wary of any site that credits it to Cicero or Horace without a source.
Questions about “Non omnibus unum est quod placet”
What does “Non omnibus unum est quod placet” mean literally?
Literally “not for all is there one thing which pleases”. In natural English: not everyone likes the same thing, or tastes differ.
Who said “Non omnibus unum est quod placet”?
No author is known. It is a traditional Latin saying, so treat any claimed ancient source with caution.
How do you pronounce “Non omnibus unum est quod placet”?
In Classical Latin: nohn OM-nih-boos OO-noom est kwod PLAH-ket. In Church Latin the last word becomes PLAH-chet.
Is “Non omnibus unum est quod placet” the same as “De gustibus non est disputandum”?
The meaning is close, since both say that tastes differ. But they are different sayings with different wording.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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