si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi

Latin

Etymology

A Latin phrase meaning literally “if you are in Rome, live in the Roman way; if you are elsewhere, live as they do there” or “if in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you are elsewhere, live as they do elsewhere”. A version of the advice given to St Ambrose, quoted by Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium (1660).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /siː ˈfu.e.riːs ˈroː.mae̯ roːˈmaː.noː ˈwiː.wi.toː ˈmoː.re siː ˈfu.e.riːs ˈa.li.biː ˈwiː.wi.toː ˈsiː.kut ˈi.biː/, [s̠iː ˈfuɛɾiːs̠ ˈroːmäe̯ roːˈmäːnoː ˈwiːwɪt̪oː ˈmoːɾɛ s̠iː ˈfuɛɾiːs̠ ˈälɪbiː ˈwiːwɪt̪oː ˈs̠iːkʊt̪ ˈɪbiː]
• (Vulgar) IPA^(key): /siː ˈfu.e.riːs ˈroː.mae̯ roːˈmaː.noː ˈβiː.βi.toː ˈmoː.re siː ˈfu.e.riːs ˈa.li.biː ˈβiː.βi.toː ˈsiː.kut ˈi.biː/, [s̠iː ˈfwɛɾiːs̠ ˈroːmɛː roːˈmäːnoː ˈβiːβet̪oː ˈmoːɾɛ s̠iː ˈfwɛɾiːs̠ ˈäɫ̪eβiː ˈβiːβet̪oː ˈs̠iːkʊt̪ ˈeβiː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /si ˈfu.e.ris ˈro.me roˈma.no ˈvi.vi.to ˈmo.re si ˈfu.e.ris ˈa.li.bi ˈvi.vi.to ˈsi.kut ˈi.bi/, [si ˈfuːɛɾis ˈrɔːmɛ rɔˈmɑːnɔ ˈviːvit̪ɔ ˈmɔːɾɛ si ˈfuːɛɾis ˈɑːlibi ˈviːvit̪ɔ ˈsiːkut̪ ˈiːbi]

Phrase

sī fuerīs Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; sī fuerīs alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī

1. when in Rome, do as the Romans do