Latin quote · Children

Sinite parvulos venire ad me

“Let the little children come to me.”

Vulgate, Mark 10:14

Translation

What does “Sinite parvulos venire ad me” mean?

Sinite parvulos venire ad me translates as “Let the little children come to me.”

Jesus welcomes children and rebukes those who would keep them away, showing that the simple and the small have a place of honour. It is often used to express care and openness toward children.

Word by word

“Sinite parvulos venire ad me” word by word

Latin	English	Grammar
Sinite	allow! let!	a command (imperative) of sino, “to allow”; second person plural, addressed to several people
parvulos	little children	accusative plural (masculine) of parvulus, “very small, little one”, here used as a noun; the direct object of sinite
venire	to come	present infinitive (active) of venio, “to come”; it completes the sense of sinite
ad	to, towards	a preposition that takes the accusative
me	me	accusative singular of ego, “I”; the object of ad

Pronunciation

How to pronounce “Sinite parvulos venire ad me”

Classical LatinSIH-nih-teh par-WOO-lohs weh-NEE-reh ad meh

Church LatinSEE-nee-teh par-VOO-lohs veh-NEE-reh ad meh

The classical version has a short i in sinite and a w sound for v. The church version has a long ee and a v sound. Stress falls on SI-, -VU-, and -NI-, as in the respelling.

Origin & context

The story behind it

Word for word the line says “allow the little ones to come to me”. It is the Latin of Jesus’s words in the Gospel of Mark, in the Vulgate, the Latin Bible translated mainly by Jerome in the late fourth century.

In the Gospel scene, people bring children to Jesus and his disciples try to send them away. Jesus rebukes the disciples and tells them to let the children come, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. The same episode appears in Matthew and Luke.

Because of this scene the words became closely tied to blessing and welcoming children. They are often used for baptisms, children’s chapels, church schools and nurseries.

When to use it

How to use “Sinite parvulos venire ad me”

Suited to a baptism or christening card, an inscription for a children’s chapel, a nursery or a Sunday school, or a dedication in a book for young readers. It also fits any setting where you want to say that children are welcome.

Latin: Sinite parvulos venire ad me
English: Let the little children come to me.
Source: Vulgate, Mark 10:14
Era: Church Latin
Theme: Children

Good to know

Common mistakes

Sinite is plural, addressed to a group. To tell one person to let the child come, you would need sine.
Parvulos is masculine accusative plural. Changing the group (for example, to only girls) means a different form, parvulas, and the biblical wording uses parvulos.
The word parvuli (nominative) is not the right form here, because the children are the object of sinite and so must be in the accusative.
Some versions quote the longer verse, which goes on to say “and do not hinder them”. This page gives only the first half.

FAQ

Questions about “Sinite parvulos venire ad me”

What does “Sinite parvulos venire ad me” mean literally?

“Allow the little children to come to me.” The English “Let the little children come to me” is the usual rendering.

Where does “Sinite parvulos venire ad me” come from?

It is from the Vulgate Latin Bible, Mark 10:14, where Jesus speaks to his disciples. Similar words appear in Matthew and Luke.

How do you pronounce “Sinite parvulos venire ad me”?

In church Latin: SEE-nee-teh par-VOO-lohs veh-NEE-reh ad meh. Classical Latin sounds slightly different, with a w sound for v.

Is “Sinite parvulos venire ad me” correct Latin for a tattoo or inscription?

Yes, it is the standard Vulgate wording and is grammatically sound. It is addressed to several people, so it works as a quotation, not as a personal command to one reader.

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