History of Europe

Useful phrases and expressions to travel… to Ancient Rome

A few years ago, before embarking on a trip abroad, it was almost normal to buy a travel guide for the destination in question, which also included some useful phrases or expressions to get around in non-Spanish-speaking places. Nowadays, these guides are being relegated in favor of the internet or smartphone applications, but if you are ever lucky enough to be able to travel to Ancient Rome , via time teleportation , surely this guide will be very useful to you.

If you are lucky enough to make friends – or whatever – with a beautiful Roman.
My name is Javier . Hail! - Hello! My name is Javier
Magna cum voluptate – Gladly
Estne pugio in tunica, an tibi libet me videre? – Do you have a dagger in your tunic or are you glad to see me?
Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo – Don't call me, I'll call you
Hora et triginta minuta in mora es – You arrive an hour and a half late
Lapsus linguae erat – It was a mistake
Noli me tangere – Get your hands off me
Volo, non valeo – I would love to, but I can't
Sirem improba – Damn temptress
Hopefully familiar – I hope we can still be friends.
Vade retro! – Go!
Haec omnia? – Is that all?
Nocte quater – Four times a night
Ursus perpauli cerebri sum – I am a bear with very little brain
In flagrante delicto – Red-handed
Fabricare diem – Make my day
Re vera, cara mea, mihi nihil refert – Frankly dear, I don't care about that
Anguis is – You are a snake

Through the streets of Rome
What vadis? – Where are you going?
Mihi ignosce – Excuse me
Ubi sum? – Where am I?
Auxilium mihi, si placet? – Can you help me, please?
Noli me necare, cape omnem pecuniam meam – Don't kill me, here's all my money
Pace tua – With your permission
Manus manum lavat – I help you if you help me
Yankee ite domum – Yankees, go home! (Yankee, go home)
Quod in abysso you say? – What the hell are you saying?
Fools quid dicas – I don't know what you're talking about
Estne juxtim caupona/mansio? – Is there a bar/hotel around here?
Cave canem – Watch out for the dog
Vade in pace – Go in peace
Utinam tuus currus deleatur! – I hope you have a car accident!
Pedicabo te! – Fuck you!

Buy in a market. .
Pecuniam mihi monstra – Show me the money
Quantum est? – How much does it cost?
Hoc est nimis! – It is very expensive
Pecuniam mihi redde – Give me my money back
Hoc affer tecum – Take it away
In hac tunica obesa videbor? – Does this robe make me fat?
Pistrix rapax – Greedy shark
Vinum/fermentum bellum iucundumque est – This wine/beer is not bad

When you return home… Domus own domus optima (home sweet home) and Deliranti isti Romani (these Romans are crazy). And if, taking advantage of your trip back in the time machine, a citizen of Ancient Rome accompanies you, you can help them to integrate using the dictionary for the translation of current terms, Lexicorum Vocabolarum quae difficilius latine redditur , written by Cardinal Bacci in 1963…

gummies saliva (chewing gum), vinolentiam propensity (alcoholism), lucis horror (photophobia), fulminea verticularum occlusio (zipper), curatio per chimica medicamenta (chemotherapy), stomachi ac tenuis crassisque intestini inflammatio (gastroenteritis), absurd symphonia (jazz), homo machina (robot), inflatio venarum ani (hemorrhoids), follius pedunque ludus (football), rotula moderatrix (flywheel), medicus ocularis (ophthalmologist), arium, narium gutturisque medicus (otolaryngologist), nicotianum fumun suggests (no smoking), latrina defluente aquae profluvio instructa (outhouse)

Sources:Guide to Ancient Rome – Georges Hacquard, Ancient Rome for Five Pence a Day – Philip Matyszak