Latin Translation

Schmalz

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I am new to this board. This is my first post. I did see mention in an other post that it was possible to ask here for a Latin translation of an English sentence/phrase. I have tried the online translators and they all seem to fail with Latin translations. I would like to know what the Latin is for the following English phrase:

"Do the best with what you have" OR "Make the most of what you have"

I hope someone can help.

Many thanks in advance and I look forward to engaging more with this board as I am fond of writing - I just don't get to do it as often as I would like.
 

Bufty

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I don't speak Latin and can't guarantee this is right but via a simple Google search for English into Latin translations 'Make the most of what you have' translates into 'Quod habes maximam'.
 

NRoach

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"Face quod potes, cum quō habēs"
That's how I would translate "Do what you can with what you have". My Latin isn't exactly great so forgive me if I used the wrong case somewhere.
 

malamute

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Yep go on line, I googled a number of sites because I have a few Latin translations in Wolfsong Lullaby, found them really handy. I keyed in the English to Latin, then reversed it Latin to English to make sure it was what I wanted.
 

Marlys

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Depending on what you need it for, you might look for an existing proverb with a similar meaning. A couple of possibilities:

Si bovem non possis, asinum agas--If you don't have an ox, drive a donkey

Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe--If the wind will not serve, take to the oars
 

Ken

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Google Translator is pretty cool. I am not sure how accurate it is but to me it's useful.

Here is its result for your sentence:

Aut num plerisque in optimus, si quid habes, quod habetis
 

TheNighSwan

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Google translator generally produces understandable but broken sentences but for the most basic cases. I certainly wouldn't trust it for anything complex, or anything you'd put in a novel.

Of all the translations suggested in this thread, 'Quod habes maximam' does have the nice minimalist ring of classical Latin sentences.

The existing Latin proverbs suggested by Marlys are a good safe bet too.
 

Elly_Green

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I would like to know what the Latin is for the following English phrase:

"Do the best with what you have" OR "Make the most of what you have"

I am a Latin teacher, 10 years experience teaching, plus enough Latin in high school and college to have a Masters degree...

Fac optime (best) quibus habes.
Fac plurime (most) quibus habes.

Your choice of the adverb you prefer.
 

Nualláin

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A general plea to all: please do not ever publish, recite, or tattoo(*1) a Latin phrase you got from an automated translation on the internet. Those programs are not nearly clever enough yet to understand Latin morphology or syntax, and will invariably spit out either complete gibberish or something wholly unlike what you intended. It makes Classicists cry inside, and then our insides mildew.

As for the phrases, it would depend what sort of Latin you wanted. A purely mechanical translation of the English would be comprehensible, but probably wouldn't be anything a Latin author would actually write. To arrive at an authentic sounding Latin phrase, you would need to pull and stretch at the meaning a little.

NighSwan mentions that classical Latin tends towards a minimalist aesthetic, which is very true. Latin loves to omit what we would consider essential syntax and force the reader to supply what is implied by the surrounding context. In that spirit, one possibility would be:

Tuis quod possis.

A literal translation of only what is explicitly phrased there would be "With your things, what you can". Supplying the omissions, a clumsy translation would be "(do) that which you are able (to do) with (those things which belong to you)". It is almost as vague in Latin as it sounds in English, but is rather elegant at the same time, employing homoioptoton and the "sandwich" construction Roman authors were so fond of.

More literally, "Do the best with what you have" could perhaps be rendered as "Optimum fac quo tibi est". Literally this means, "do the best (thing) with (that which) exists for you". (Note that Latin does not typically express possession with the verb "to have", as suggested elsewhere, preferring what is called the possessive dative construction; rather than saying "I have a house at Baiae", a Roman would say, "there is a house at Baiae for me", and mean the exact same thing).

The above uses the imperative form of the verb used for "do/make", however, which may not be quite what you wanted. A slightly gentler way of expressing the idea could be "optimum facias quo tibi est", which expresses more of a wish than a command: "May you do the best with what you have". Such subtle shifts in meaning are a feature of Latin, which is one reason why I suggest caution with anything automated.

Another distinction for your second phrase is possible by using a double accusative with facio. If you were to write "optimum facias quod tibi est", the meaning shifts to making x into y, rather than doing x with y. Literally: "May you make the thing which you have into the best possible thing", or more loosely, "make what you've got the best," not just "make it the best you can". You could also use fac in place of facias in that phrase to get an order in place of a wish.

There are a few suggestions. As I say, though, it depends on exactly what you want the Latin to look, feel, and sound like.

(*1) - You should see some of the hilarious Latin I've seen permanently inked on people's bodies. Why do people rely on Google to translate words they were going to burn into their living flesh?
 
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Haggis

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Four years of Latin and all I can remember is "Agricola in Italia est." Plus I probably screwed that up too.
 

C.bronco

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I am new to this board. This is my first post. I did see mention in an other post that it was possible to ask here for a Latin translation of an English sentence/phrase. I have tried the online translators and they all seem to fail with Latin translations. I would like to know what the Latin is for the following English phrase:

"Do the best with what you have" Oodo ethe estbay ithway atway ouyay avehayOR "Make the most of what you have" Akemay ethey ostmay ofway atwhay ouyay avehay.

I hope someone can help.I do not think I helped.
 

Rufus Coppertop

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Latin translation time. :partyguy::hooray:

I'll have a go...........

Debeas optimum facere quocumque tibi adest.

debeas - you ought
optimum - the best
facere - to make
quocumque - with whatever
tibi - to you
adest - is at hand/is present
 

Rufus Coppertop

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Google Translator is pretty cool. I am not sure how accurate it is but to me it's useful.

Here is its result for your sentence:

Aut num plerisque in optimus, si quid habes, quod habetis
If that's the best it can come up with, I'd avoid it like the plague for anything Latin. Seriously.

aut num - either whether
plerisque - and with the majority
in - ???? what's "in" doing there? It needs an accusative or an ablative and "optimus" is nominative so "in" is just floating there.
si habes quid (habes should be subjunctive) - if you have what
quod habetis - which you all have

Either whether and with the majority the best in if what you have which you (plural) have. At least, that's the best I can do with it at the moment. I'm 99% sure it doesn't make sense. Maybe a better Latinist can let me know.
 
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Schmalz

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C. Bronco = I guess that's one alternative... Ankthay ouyay!
 

Schmalz

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Thanks for all the replies so far. You've given me a few options to consider.
 

Bufty

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It also depends upon who is using the quotation, why, and the relevance of its being absolutely correct or not.

"Come on, lads. All together. Muckimus innus everyone, as they say in Rome."
 

Chase

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Oodo ethe estbay ithway atway ouyay avehay

My new shoulder-to-shoulder chest tattoo.

:ty: to Nualláin for the cool idea and to CB for the righteous words.
 

Nualláin

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If that's the best it can come up with, I'd avoid it like the plague for anything Latin. Seriously.

...

Either whether and with the majority the best in if what you have which you (plural) have.

Mm-hm. Now imagine some poor bastard with that tattooed across his chest.

Er...

My new shoulder-to-shoulder chest tattoo.

:ty: to Nualláin for the cool idea and to CB for the righteous words.

Pics or it didn't happen. ;)
 

Chase

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Mm-hm. Now imagine some poor bastard with that tattooed across his chest. Pics or it didn't happen.

New pecs pics as soon as the old tattoo is removed. :D

chase_your_dream.jpg


iteday: Cashflow being tight, I may just go with: chasechay youray dreamsdray
 
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Ken

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If that's the best it can come up with, I'd avoid it like the plague for anything Latin. Seriously.

aut num - either whether
plerisque - and with the majority
in - ???? what's "in" doing there? It needs an accusative or an ablative and "optimus" is nominative so "in" is just floating there.
si habes quid (habes should be subjunctive) - if you have what
quod habetis - which you all have

Either whether and with the majority the best in if what you have which you (plural) have. At least, that's the best I can do with it at the moment. I'm 99% sure it doesn't make sense. Maybe a better Latinist can let me know.

LOL :-D

But still useful:

It also depends upon who is using the quotation, why, and the relevance of its being absolutely correct or not.

Botched, error-riddled lingo suits mine fine.
(Shameful to be sure.)