LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adverb

quīn1

quīn (not comparable)
Classical[ˈkʷiːn]Ecclesiastical[ˈkʷin]
№ 456 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. not comparableusuallyhow come not, why don't I/you/he ..., how about? (in questioning suggestions)
    Quīn tū tacēs!Why don't you shut up!c. 190 BCE, Plautus, Curculio 84
    Quīn accingeris?Why not prepare yourself?27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 1.47
  2. futurenot comparablesubjunctiveusuallycome on, let's, ...then! (adding force)
    GETA Ego sum missu(s) tē ut requīrerem atque addūcerem. ANTIPHO Em quīn ergō rape mē - quid cessās?GETA I've been sent to find and bring you back. ANTIPHO Well, here I am - grab me then! What are you waiting for?161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Phormio 881
  3. emphaticnot comparableStrengthened by various adverbs
    quīn etiamand moreover
    quīn etand furthermore
  4. emphaticnot comparableUsed to emphasise an objection to the previous statement: why, but ...!
    SOSIA Quid, malum, non sum ego servos Amphitruōnis Sōsia? […] MERCVRIVS Quid, domum vostram? SO. Ita enim vērō! MER. Quīn quae dīxistī modo omnia ēmentītu·s: equidem Sōsia Amphitruōnis sum!SOSIA What the hell? Am I not Sosia, Amphitryon's slave? […] MERCURY What, your house?! SO. Yes, my house! MER. Why, but everything you've just said you've dreamt up: Amphitryon's Sosia is me!c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitruo 410-411
    AMPHITRVO Nimia memorās mīra. Sed vīdistīn uxōrem meam? SOSIA Quīn intrō īre in aedīs numquam licitum est! AM. Quis tē prohibuit?AMPHITRYON What a strange story you're telling me! But have you seen my wife? SOSIA But I've been told to never ever enter the house! AM. Who told you not to?c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitruo 616-617

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

vix me contineo quin lacrimem
to be hardly able to restrain one's tears.
vix mihi tempero quin lacrimem
to be hardly able to restrain one's tears.
nullam moram interponere, quin (Phil. 10. 1. 1)
to make all possible haste to...
nullum tempus intermittere, quin (also ab opere, or ad opus)
to devote every spare moment to...; to work without intermission at a thing.

quīn,
I. conj. [abl. quī and ne].
I. As an interrog. particle, why not? wherefore not? (only in exhortation or remonstrance; not in inquiring for a fact; cf.: quidni, cur non).
1. Usu. with indic. pres.: quid stas, lapis? Quin accipis? Ter. Heaut. 4, 7, 4: quin experimur, id. Phorm. 3, 3, 5 Fleck. (Umpf experiemur): quin continetis vocem? Cic. Rab. Perd. 6, 18: quin potius pacem aeternam Exercemus? Verg. A. 4, 99: quin igitur ulciscimur Graeciam? Curt. 5, 7, 4: quin conscendimus equos? why not mount our horses? Liv. 1, 57.—
2. With imper.: quin me aspice et contempla, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 16: quin uno verbo dic, quid est, quod me velis, just say in one word! Ter. And. 1, 1, 18: quin tu hoc crimen obice ubi licet agere, i. e. you had better, Cic. Rosc. Com. 9, 25. —
3. With subj. only in orat. obliq.: quin illi congrederentur acie inclinandamque semel fortunae rem darent, Liv. 3, 61, 14; 4, 43, 11; 40, 40, 4.—
II. Transf.
A. As a rel. particle, prop. quī or qui ne, and mostly where the rel. stands for a nom. masc. or for abl. of time, who ... not, that not, but that, but, often = Engl. without and a participial clause.
1. In gen.: curiosus nemo est quin sit malevolus, Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 54: neque aequom est occultum id haberi, quin participem te, id. Aul. 2, 1, 13; id. Cas. 2, 8, 68: nulla causast quin me condones cruci, id. Rud. 4, 4, 26: ut nullo modo Introire possem, quin me viderent, Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 2: facere non possum, quin ad te mittam, I cannot forbear sending to you, Cic. Att. 12, 27, 3: cum causae nihil esset, quin secus indicaret, id. Quint. 9, 32: nihil abest, quin sim miserrimus, id. Att. 11, 15, 3: neminem conveni, quin omnes mihi maximas gratias agant, id. Fam. 9, 14, 1: nemo est, quin ubivis quam ibi ubi est, esse malit, id. ib. 6, 1, 1: repertus est nemo quin mori diceret satius est, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 36, § 88: nemo, qui aliquo esset in numero, scripsit orationem quin redigeret omnis sententias, etc., id. Or. 61, 208: nihil praetermisi, quin enucleate ad te scriberem, id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, 1: neque ullus flare ventus poterat quin aliquā ex parte secundum cursum haberent, Caes. B. C. 3, 47: nulli ex itinere excedere licebat quin ab equitatu Caesaris exciperetur, without being cut off, id. ib. 1, 79: nullum fere tempus intermiserunt, quin trans Rhenum legatos mitterent, without sending, id. B. G. 5, 55: in castello nemo fuit omnino militum quin vulneraretur, id. B. C. 3, 53: quid recusare potest, quin et socii sibi consulant, Liv. 32, 21: vix superat, quin triumphus decernatur, it wants little that, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 17, 13, 5: paene factum est, quin castra relinquerentur, i.e. they were very near deserting their camp, id. ib. 17, 13, 5.— So quin (= quī non) stands for a rel. abl. of time: neque ullum fere tempus intercessit quin aliquem de motu Gallorum nuntium acciperet, Caes. B. G. 5, 53.— More rarely quin stands for quae non, quod non, etc.: nulla est civitas quin ad id tempus partem senatus Cordubam mitteret. Caes. B. C. 2, 19: nulla fuit Thessaliae civitas quin Caesari pareret, id. ib. 3, 81: nulla (natura), quin suam vim retineat, Cic. Fin. 4, 13, 32: horum autem nihil est quin intereat, id. N. D. 3, 12, 30; id. Rep. 1, 2, 2: nihil est quin male narrando possit depravari, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 16: nihil tam difficilest quin investigare possiet, id. Heant. 4, 2, 8: cum nemo esset, quin hoc se audisse liquido diceret, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 136: Messanam nemo venit, quin viderit, id. ib. 2, 4, 4, § 7: nego ullam picturam fuisse, quin inspexerit, id. ib. 2, 4, 1, § 1; cf. Gell. 17, 13, 2 sq., and Cato ap. Gell. ib. § 3.— 2. Esp. after words expressing hesitation (usu. with neg.): non dubitaturum, quin cederet, Cic Mil. 23, 63: nolite dubitare, quin, id. Imp. Pomp. 23, 68: et vos non dubitatis, quin, id. Agr. 2, 26, 69: dubitatis, Quirites, quin hoc tantum boni in rem publicam conferatis? id. Imp. Pomp. 16, 49. —
3. Much more freq. after words expressing doubt, ignorance, etc.: non dubitabat, quin, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 3: cave dubites, quin, id. Fam. 5, 20, 6: non dubitabat quin ... non posset, id. Att. 5, 11, 7; id. Tusc. 1, 36, 88: non esse dubium, quin . . . possent, no doubt that, Caes. B. G. 1, 4; Ter. And. 2, 3, 17: neque abest suspicio, quin, a suspicion that, Caes. B. G. 1, 4: quis ignerat, quin? who is ignorant that? who does not know that? Cic. Fl. 27, 64: dies fere nullus est, quin hic Satyrus domum meam ventitet, hardly a day passes that he does not come, id. Att. 1, 1, 3.—
B. That not, as if not, as though not: non quin ipse dissentiam, sed quod, not but that, Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 1: non quin breviter reddi responsum potuerit, Liv 2, 15. —
C. For corroboration.
1. But, indeed, really, verily, of a truth: Hercle quin tu recte dicis, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 77: credo; neque id injuria: quin Mihi molestum est, Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 20: te nec hortor, nec rogo, ut domum redeas, quin hinc ipse evolare cupio, Cic. Fam. 7, 30, 1.— Esp. in reaching a climax or adding a stronger assertion or proof: quin etiam, yea indeed, nay even: credibile non est, quantum scribam die: quin etiam noctibus, Cic. Att. 13, 26, 3; 14, 21, 3: quin etiam necesse crit cupere et optare, ut, etc., id. Lael. 16, 59: quin etiam voces jactare, Verg. A. 2, 768: mortem non esse metuendam, quin etiam si, etc., nay, not even if, etc., Lact. 3, 27 fin.; cf.: quin et Atridas Priamus fefellit, Hor. C. 1, 10, 13.—
2. Rather, yea rather: nihil ea res animum militaris viri imminuit, quin contra plus spei naotus, Liv. 35, 26.—
D. In corrections, nay, rather: non potest dici satis quantum in illo sceleris fuerit, Quin sic attendite, judices, etc., Cic. Mil. 29, 78 sq. (cf. Halm ad loc., and Lorenz ad Plaut. Most. 164).

Origins

The adverb is from the adverb quī (“how, why”) + -ne, the conjunction from the relative pronoun quī (“who, that, which”) and its old ablative singular quī (“with whom or what, thanks to whom or what, etc.”) + -ne.

conjunction
quīn2
quīn
Classical[ˈkʷiːn]Ecclesiastical[ˈkʷin]
№ 456 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. who does/can/would not (usually following a nominative)
    Vestrum nēmō est quīn intellegat populum RōmānumThere is no one among you who doesn't understand the Roman people80 BCE, Cicero, Pro Roscio Amerino 154
    Neque erat quisquam omnium quīn in eius diēī cāsū suārum omnium fortūnārum ēventum cōnsistere existimāret.Nor was there anyone among them who didn't think that the fate of all their fortunes rested on the outcome of that day.c. 48 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello civili 2.5
  2. without (something happening), (so) that...not
    Numquam tam māne ēgredior, neque tam vesperī domum revortor, quīn tē in fundō cōnspicer fodere aut […]I never go out so early, or come home so late, that I don't see you digging or […] on your farm.163 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Heauton Timorumenos 68 (complaining at an old man for working too much)
    Neque ūllus flāre ventus poterat quīn aliquā ex parte secundum cursum habērent.And no wind could blow that it wasn't favourable to them to some extent.c. 48 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello civili 3.47
  3. not because not...but, not that not...but
    nōn quīn ab eō ipse dissentiam, sed quod eā tē sapientiā esse iūdicem, ut meum cōnsilium nōn antepōnam tuōnot because I don't disagree with it, but because I judge you to be of the kind of wisdom where I wouldn't prefer my own opinion to yours106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Ad Familiares 4.7
    nōn quīn magnitūdō Carthāginis mereātur etiam a philosophō precem prō honōre, sed ut integrum et intemerātum esset vestrum beneficiumnot because the great city of Carthage doesn't deserve that even a philosopher should beg to be given an honor, but so that your generosity remained pure and irreproachablec. 125 CE – 180 CE, Apuleius, Florida 16
  4. from doing or happening
    "Necessārium" ait esse Opillus Aurēlius, in quō nōn sit cessandum, […] aut quod nōn possit prohibēre quīn fīat.'The necessary', says Opillus Aurelius, 'is that which doesn't allow for delays, […] or that which one can't prevent from happening.'2nd c. CE, Sextus Pompeius Festus, De Verborum Significatione
    Et omnia quae dēsīderāvērunt oculī meī, nōn negāvī eīs; nec prohibuī cor quīn omnī voluptāte fruerētur...And anything that my eyes desired, I did not deny to them. Nor did I withhold my heart from enjoying every pleasure...c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Ecclesiastes.2.10
  5. that
    quis ignōrat, quīn ...?who's oblivious to the fact that ...?
    Nōn dubiumst quīn mī magnum ex hāc rē sit malum.There's no doubt that I'll sorely regret this.161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Eunuchus 997

Origins

The adverb is from the adverb quī (“how, why”) + -ne, the conjunction from the relative pronoun quī (“who, that, which”) and its old ablative singular quī (“with whom or what, thanks to whom or what, etc.”) + -ne.

pronoun
quīn3
quīn
Classical[ˈkʷiːn]Ecclesiastical[ˈkʷin]
№ 456 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see quī, -ne.
    ―Cui egestatem tolerari vis? Eloquere audacter patri. ―Lesbonico huic adulescenti, Charmidai filio, qui illic habitat. ― Quin comedit quod fuit, quod non fuit?―Who do you want to support in his poverty? Speak to your father boldly. ―Young Lesbonicus here, the son of Charmides, who lives over there. (points to it) ―You mean the one who ate up what he had and what he didn’t have?c. 195 BCE, Plautus, Trinummus 2.2.83–85

Origins

The adverb is from the adverb quī (“how, why”) + -ne, the conjunction from the relative pronoun quī (“who, that, which”) and its old ablative singular quī (“with whom or what, thanks to whom or what, etc.”) + -ne.

Quick answers

What does quīn mean in Latin?
quīn, a adverb, means “how come not, why don't I/you/he ..., how about? (in questioning suggestions)”.
How do you pronounce quīn?
In classical Latin, [ˈkʷiːn]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkʷin].