LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum

Mēns sāna in corpore sānō

“A sound mind in a sound body”

MENS · SANA · IN · CORPORE · SANO

Classical: the author's own words

Juvenal, Satires 10.356

ōrandum est ut sit mēns sāna in corpore sānō

Juvenal says it is what we should pray for, instead of wealth or long life.

Word by word

  1. Mēnsmēns mentis f.mindsg. nom.
  2. sānasānus -a -umsound, sanesg. nom. f.
  3. ininin, on (+ abl.); into, onto (+ acc)
  4. corporecorpus -oris n.bodysg. abl.
  5. sānōsānus -a -umsound, sanesg. dat. m.

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 “Mens sana in corpore sano” mean?
“Mēns sāna in corpore sānō” means “A sound mind in a sound body”. Juvenal says it is what we should pray for, instead of wealth or long life.
Who said “Mens sana in corpore sano”?
Juvenal, Satires 10.356, where the Latin reads “ōrandum est ut sit mēns sāna in corpore sānō”.