Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina
“Money is a servant if you know how to use it, a mistress if you don’t.”
Latin proverb
What does “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina” mean?
Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina translates as “Money is a servant if you know how to use it, a mistress if you don’t.”
Control your money or it controls you.
“Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Pecunia | money | nominative singular feminine of pecunia, “money, wealth” (the subject of the sentence) |
| si | if | conjunction introducing a condition |
| uti | to use | present infinitive (deponent) of utor, “I use”; it takes its object in the ablative, here left unstated |
| scis | you know (how) | second person singular present indicative active of scio, “I know”; scire is followed by an infinitive meaning “to know how to” |
| ancilla | servant, maidservant | nominative singular feminine of ancilla, “female servant”; agrees with pecunia |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| si | if | conjunction introducing a condition |
| nescis | you do not know (how) | second person singular present indicative active of nescio, “I do not know”; uti is understood from the first clause |
| domina | mistress, lady of the house | nominative singular feminine of domina, “mistress”; est is understood (est omitted) |
How to pronounce “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est …”
The two systems differ only in ancilla, where the c is hard (k) in Classical and soft (ch) in Church Latin. Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of pecunia and ancilla, and on the first syllable of nescis and domina.
The story behind it
Word for word the proverb says “Money, if you know how to use it, is a servant; if you do not know, a mistress.” The Latin sets two roles against each other: the ancilla, who obeys, and the domina, who gives the orders.
It is labelled a Latin proverb, and no single author or work is firmly tied to it, so it is best treated as traditional wisdom rather than a quotation from a named writer. Warnings about the power of money and greed run all through Roman moral writing.
The saying is still repeated in finance and self-help talk, and it exists in many modern languages in nearly the same form. Its point is that money is a tool whose value depends on the person handling it.
How to use “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est …”
It suits a desk motto, a card for someone starting a business or a first job, a caption for a post about saving or budgeting, or an essay on wealth and self-control. As a tattoo it is long, so many people choose only Pecunia ancilla est.
- Latin
- Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina
- English
- Money is a servant if you know how to use it, a mistress if you don’t.
- Source
- Latin proverb
- Era
- Middle Ages (proverb)
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- Do not read domina as a polite “lady” in the modern sense. It means a woman who holds power over you, which is the whole point of the contrast.
- The English “mistress” can suggest a lover, but the Latin domina means the female head of a household or a woman in command.
- If you shorten it to “Pecunia ancilla est” you lose the warning and keep only the hopeful half of the saying.
- The words uti and scis go together as “know how to use”. Translating scis as “you see” or “you understand” loses that sense.
Questions about “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est …”
What does “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina” mean?
It means money is a servant if you know how to use it and a mistress if you do not. In plain terms, you must control money or it will control you.
Who said “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est”?
It is a Latin proverb with no firmly established author, so it should not be credited to a named writer.
How do you pronounce “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est”?
In Classical Latin: peh-KOO-nee-ah see OO-tee skees an-KIL-lah est. In Church Latin only ancilla changes, to an-CHIL-lah.
Is “Pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the Latin is sound, but it is a long line. A shorter option is “Pecunia ancilla est”, though that drops the warning half.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.