LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum

Ars longa, vīta brevis

“Art is long, life is short”

ARS · LONGA · VITA · BREVIS

Adapted: a later form of a classical line

Hippocrates' first aphorism; Seneca, On the Shortness of Life 1.1

vītam brevem esse, longam artem

Hippocrates meant the art of medicine takes longer to learn than a life allows.

Word by word

  1. Arsars -tis f.skillsg. nom.
  2. longalongus -a -umlong, farsg. nom. f.
  3. vītavīta -ae f.lifesg. nom.
  4. brevisbrevis -eshort, shallow, briefsg. gen.

Using it as a motto or tattoo

Latin endings carry gender and number, so a saying about one person may need changing for another. Check your own version, or have three new ones composed, on the motto desk.

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Quick answers

What does “Ars longa, vita brevis” mean?
“Ars longa, vīta brevis” means “Art is long, life is short”. Hippocrates meant the art of medicine takes longer to learn than a life allows.
Who said “Ars longa, vita brevis”?
Hippocrates' first aphorism; Seneca, On the Shortness of Life 1.1, where the Latin reads “vītam brevem esse, longam artem”.

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