Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis
“All things change, and we change with them.”
Renaissance proverb (Borbonius, 1595)
What does “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis” mean?
Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis translates as “All things change, and we change with them.”
Nothing stays the same – not the world and not us. Change is part of life.
“Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Omnia | all things | nominative plural neuter of omnis, “all, every”; used as a noun, the subject of mutantur |
| mutantur | are changed, change | 3rd person plural present passive of muto, “to change”; used here with a reflexive sense, “change (themselves)” |
| nos | we | 1st person plural pronoun, nominative; subject of mutamur |
| et | also, too | here an adverb, “also”; it can also be a conjunction, “and” |
| mutamur | we are changed, we change | 1st person plural present passive of muto, “to change”; again with a reflexive sense |
| in | in, among | preposition taking the ablative here, “in, in the midst of” |
| illis | those things | ablative plural neuter of ille, “that, those”; refers back to omnia |
How to pronounce “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”
Both pronunciations sound the same here, since there is no c or g before e or i and no v. The stress falls on the first syllable of omnia and illis and on the second-to-last syllable of mutantur and mutamur.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “all things are changed, and we too are changed in them”. The passive forms have a middle sense, so English usually renders them as “change”, and the “in them” suggests that we change along with the world around us.
The line is known from a 1595 collection by Matthaeus Borbonius (Matthias Bourbon), which attributes it to the Frankish emperor Lothair I. It is a variant of the older saying “Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”, “the times change, and we change with them”. The attribution to Lothair is not secure, so it is safest to call the line a Renaissance proverb.
The saying remains popular today for its calm acceptance of change, and it has been quoted and adapted in many languages.
How to use “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”
A good fit for a tattoo, a card for a graduation, a move or a new job, a caption for a before-and-after photo, or an essay on time and personal growth. It suits any moment when you want to accept change rather than resist it.
- Latin
- Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis
- English
- All things change, and we change with them.
- Source
- Renaissance proverb (Borbonius, 1595)
- Era
- Renaissance
- Theme
- Change
Common mistakes
- It is not a quote from Ovid or another ancient poet, although Ovid wrote about change in the Metamorphoses. It is a Renaissance proverb.
- Do not trust the attribution to Lothair I as certain; it comes from a 1595 collection and is not firmly established.
- The version “Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis” is a related but different line: it says “the times”, not “all things”. The two are often mixed up.
- Do not change mutamur to mutantur when you mean “we”. The ending -mur is “we”, the ending -ntur is “they”.
Questions about “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”
What does “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis” mean literally?
“All things are changed, and we too are changed in them”. In natural English: all things change, and we change with them.
Who said “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”?
It is a Renaissance proverb recorded in a 1595 collection by Borbonius, which attributes it to the Frankish emperor Lothair I. That attribution is uncertain.
What is the difference between this and “Tempora mutantur”?
“Tempora mutantur” means “the times change”. This line says “all things change”, and the longer form adds “nos et mutamur in illis”, “and we change with them”.
How do you pronounce “Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis”?
Say it as OM-nee-ah moo-TAHN-toor nohs et moo-TAH-moor in IL-lees. Classical and Church pronunciation sound the same here.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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