Teneas tuis te
“Keep to your own.”
Horace, Satires 2.3.324 (teneas, Damasippe, tuis te)
What does “Teneas tuis te” mean?
Teneas tuis te translates as “Keep to your own.”
Stay with your own people and your own affairs instead of meddling in others’.
“Teneas tuis te” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Teneas | may you keep, you should keep | second person singular present subjunctive active of teneo, “to hold, keep”; here a polite command or wish |
| tuis | your own (affairs) | ablative plural of tuus, “your”, used as a noun: “your own things, your own business” |
| te | yourself | accusative singular of tu, “you”; the reflexive object of teneas |
How to pronounce “Teneas tuis te”
Both pronunciations sound the same here, since there is no c, g or v. Teneas and tuis are stressed on the first syllable, and te is a single syllable.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “may you keep yourself to your own”, which in natural English means “keep to your own affairs” or “mind your own business”.
It comes from Horace, Satires 2.3, line 324. The satire is a long sermon by Damasippus, a bankrupt art dealer turned Stoic preacher, who argues that everyone is mad. At the end he turns on Horace himself, and Horace cuts him off with teneas, Damasippe, tuis te, “Damasippus, mind your own business”.
Without the name, the words became a proverb: look after your own affairs and stop meddling in other people’s. Today it works as a short motto about minding your own circle.
How to use “Teneas tuis te”
Suits a desk motto, a card for someone who values privacy and loyalty to family or close friends, or a short tattoo about staying out of other people’s business. In an essay, credit it to Horace, Satires 2.3.
- Latin
- Teneas tuis te
- English
- Keep to your own.
- Source
- Horace, Satires 2.3.324 (teneas, Damasippe, tuis te)
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Self
Common mistakes
- Do not credit it to Cicero or Seneca. It comes from Horace, where it is a sharp retort rather than gentle advice.
- Tuis is plural. It means “your own people or things”, not “your own thing” in the singular, which would need a different form such as tuo.
- Teneas is addressed to one person. To several people the Latin would be teneatis vos vestris.
- Teneas is a subjunctive, so it reads as a gentle command or wish (“may you keep”), not a flat statement like “you keep”.
Questions about “Teneas tuis te”
What does “Teneas tuis te” mean literally?
Literally “may you keep yourself with your own”. In natural English this is “Keep to your own”, meaning stay with your own people and affairs.
Who said “Teneas tuis te”?
Horace, in Satires 2.3.324, where he silences the preacher Damasippus with teneas, Damasippe, tuis te.
How do you pronounce “Teneas tuis te”?
In Classical Latin say “TEH-neh-ahs TOO-ees teh”. The Church pronunciation sounds the same here. The stress falls on the first syllable of teneas and of tuis.
Is “Teneas tuis te” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a line of Horace with the name Damasippe left out. The word order is poetic, so keep it exactly as written.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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