Expert: Maria - 6/6/2008

Question
Could anyone help me translate this phrase into latin?

It's : THAT WHICH DONT KILL ME CAN ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER

Answer
Hello,

First of all the English phrase “That which does not  kill me makes me stronger “ is the translation of  the  German quote “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker “ we read in  Friedrich Nietzsche, “Twilight of the Idols “(Maxims and Arrows, number 8).

As for the Latin translation of this Nietzsche’s maxim, here it is:

-“Quod me non necat me fortiorem facit”
or:
-“Quod me non necat me confirmat”.
(See below for the grammatical analysis).

Best regards,
Maria
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-That which = QUOD  (nominative neuter singular of the relative pronoun QUI)

-does not kill = NON NECAT (present of NECO, I kill) plus the negative NON

-me = ME (personal pronoun in the accusative case)

-makes= FACIT (present of FACIO, I make)

-me = ME

-stronger = FORTIOREM (Accusative case, comparative of the adjective FORTIS, strong).
Note that in Latin we can say also  CONFIRMAT (present of CONFIRMO, I make stronger) instead of FACIT FORTIOREM.

As you can see, Latin word order  differs from English.
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Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844 - 1900)