Vitiis nemo sine nascitur
“No one is born without faults.”
Horace, Satires 1.3.68
What does “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur” mean?
Vitiis nemo sine nascitur translates as “No one is born without faults.”
Nobody is perfect, so be fair when you judge others, and forgive them as you hope to be forgiven.
“Vitiis nemo sine nascitur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Vitiis | with faults | ablative plural of vitium, “fault, vice” (ablative of separation, depending on sine) |
| nemo | no one | nominative singular of nemo, “nobody”; the subject of the sentence |
| sine | without | preposition that takes the ablative; here it follows its noun (vitiis … sine), a word order poets favour |
| nascitur | is born | third person singular present indicative passive of nascor, “I am born” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
How to pronounce “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur”
The differences are the v (w in Classical, v in Church) and the c in nascitur (k in Classical, ch in Church); in Church Latin the ti in vitiis is also usually sounded tsi. The stress is the same in both: first syllable of vitiis, nemo and sine, and the first syllable of nascitur.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “with faults, no one without is born”. The preposition sine (“without”) is placed after its noun, which gives the sentence a neat, balanced shape and is why the English has to reorder it.
It comes from Horace’s Satires (Book 1, poem 3, line 68). In this poem Horace argues that we should be tolerant of our friends’ small failings and should not judge others harshly for faults we also have.
The line has lived on as a short, quotable way of saying that nobody is perfect. It is often used to ask for fairness and forgiveness in judging other people.
How to use “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur”
A good fit for a tattoo or motto about accepting imperfection in yourself and others, a card message to a friend after an argument, or an essay or speech on forgiveness, tolerance or humility.
- Latin
- Vitiis nemo sine nascitur
- English
- No one is born without faults.
- Source
- Horace, Satires 1.3.68
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Forgiveness
Common mistakes
- The word order is unusual: sine comes after vitiis. The sentence is not “faults are born without anyone”; nemo is the subject and vitiis depends on sine.
- Nascitur is passive in form but active in meaning (nascor is a deponent verb), so “is born” is the right translation, not “is being born by someone”.
- Vitiis is plural: “without faults”. Do not swap it for vitio (“without a fault”) when copying the quote, as that changes the meaning.
- The phrase is often quoted loosely online as a general proverb. Its source is Horace, Satires 1.3.68.
Questions about “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur”
What does “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur” mean literally?
“No one is born without faults.” Word for word it is “with faults, no one without is born”, with sine placed after its noun.
Who said “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur”?
The Roman poet Horace, in his Satires (1.3.68), written in the first century BC.
How do you pronounce “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur”?
In Classical Latin: WIH-tee-ees NEH-moh SIH-neh NAHS-kih-toor. In Church Latin: VEE-tsee-ees NEH-moh SEE-neh NAHS-chee-toor.
Is “Vitiis nemo sine nascitur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is a genuine line of Latin from Horace and the grammar is sound. Copy it exactly, including the placement of sine after vitiis.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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