Pulchrum est paucorum hominum
“Beauty belongs to the few.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
What does “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum” mean?
Pulchrum est paucorum hominum translates as “Beauty belongs to the few.”
Real beauty, and the taste to see it, is rare – a remark against following the crowd.
“Pulchrum est paucorum hominum” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Pulchrum | beautiful thing, the beautiful | neuter singular nominative (or accusative) of the adjective pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum, “beautiful”, used as a noun; here the subject |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| paucorum | of few, of the few | masculine genitive plural of the adjective paucus, “few”, used as a noun |
| hominum | of people, of men | genitive plural of homo, “human being, person”; with paucorum it means “of few people” |
How to pronounce “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum”
The main difference is hominum: the classical h is sounded, while the church pronunciation drops it, and the stress falls on HO in both. Pulchrum is stressed on the first syllable, paucorum on the second-to-last (CO), and in the church version ch in pulchrum stays hard (k).
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “the beautiful is of few people”. The genitive paucorum hominum is a genitive of possession: beauty belongs to the few, it is their property.
The words come from Friedrich Nietzsche, who used the Latin phrase in Twilight of the Idols (1889), one of his last books before his mental collapse. Nietzsche was a trained classical philologist, so quoting Latin came naturally to him.
The phrase is not known as an ancient Roman saying. It is Nietzsche’s own Latin formulation, and it is usually quoted today as an elitist, anti-crowd motto about taste, quality and standing apart from the masses.
How to use “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum”
Fits a caption, a personal motto or a tattoo for someone who values craftsmanship, art or taste over popularity. It also suits an essay on aesthetics, elitism or Nietzsche.
- Latin
- Pulchrum est paucorum hominum
- English
- Beauty belongs to the few.
- Source
- Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
- Era
- Modern
- Theme
- Excellence
Common mistakes
- It is not a classical Roman proverb. Attributing it to Cicero or another ancient author is wrong; it comes from Nietzsche.
- It does not say beauty is rare in the world, but that it belongs to, or is appreciated by, only a few people.
- Do not change hominum to a different case when adapting it: paucorum hominum has to stay in the genitive plural.
- Pulchrum is neuter, which is why it means “the beautiful (thing)”. Swapping it for pulcher or pulchra would change the sense.
Questions about “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum”
What does “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum” mean literally?
Literally “the beautiful is of few people”, which is usually rendered “Beauty belongs to the few.”
Who said “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum”?
Friedrich Nietzsche used the phrase in Twilight of the Idols (1889). It is not known as an ancient Roman saying.
How do you pronounce “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum”?
Classical: POOL-krum est pow-KOH-room HOH-mih-noom. Church Latin: POOL-krum est pow-KOH-room OH-mee-noom.
Is “Pulchrum est paucorum hominum” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound: a neuter adjective used as a noun, with a genitive of possession. Just keep the quote exactly as written and credit it to Nietzsche if asked.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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