Phrase guide

when in Rome, do as the Romans do

proverb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

proverb

Meaning 1

When situated in a foreign place, it is wise to follow the local customs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: strictly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

proverb

Meaning 2

It is wise to adapt to the circumstances; it is wise to follow common custom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The first attestation is Medieval Latin si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī (“if you should be in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you should be elsewhere, live as they do there”), which is attributed to St Ambrose (c. 339–397). Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) uses the phrase “When they are at Rome, they doe there as they see done.”

Across languages

Translations

75 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عِنْدَمَا تَكُون فِي رُومَا، اِفْعَل مَا يَفْعَلَه الرُّومَان (ʕindamā takūn fī rūmā, ifʕal mā yafʕalah ar-rūmān) — behave as those around do
  • Arabic: يا غَريب كون اَديب — behave as those around do
  • Armenian: որտեղ որ գնաս, այն երկրի գդակը ծածկիր (orteġ or gnas, ayn erkri gdakə cackir) — behave as those around do
  • Armenian: ում սելին նստես նրա հորովելը կանչիր (um selin nstes nra horovelə kančʻir) — behave as those around do
  • Basque: Gorostian gorosti, Donostian Donosti — behave as those around do
  • Bulgarian: в Рим като́ ри́мляните (v Rim kató rímljanite) — behave as those around do
  • Burmese: ရောမရောက်ရင် ရောမလို ကျင့်ရမယ် (rau:ma.rauk-rang rau:ma.lui kyang.ra.mai) — behave as those around do
  • Catalan: cada terra fa sa guerra — behave as those around do
  • Catalan: a terra que vas, usança que trobes — behave as those around do
  • Chinese Cantonese: 入鄉隨俗 /入乡随俗 (jap6 hoeng1 ceoi4 zuk6) — behave as those around do
  • Chinese Cantonese: 入屋叫人,入廟拜神 /入屋叫人 — behave as those around do
  • Chinese Mandarin: 入鄉隨俗 /入乡随俗 (rùxiāngsuísú) — behave as those around do
  • Czech: jiný kraj, jiný mrav — behave as those around do
  • Czech: kdo chce s vlky býti, musí s nimi výti — behave as those around do
  • Danish: skik følge eller land fly — behave as those around do
  • Danish: man må hyle med de ulve man er iblandt — behave as those around do
  • Dutch: 's lands wijs, 's lands eer — behave as those around do
  • Esperanto: alia lando, aliaj moroj — behave as those around do
  • Esperanto: en Romio, agu kiel Romiano — behave as those around do
  • Esperanto: kies gasto mi estas, ties feston mi festas — behave as those around do
  • Esperanto: inter lupoj, kriu lupe — behave as those around do
  • Faroese: sær er siður á landi — behave as those around do
  • Finnish: maassa maan tavalla — behave as those around do
  • French: autre pays, autre coutume — behave as those around do
  • French: à Rome, fais comme les Romains — behave as those around do
  • Galician: cada país seu uso, cada roca seu fuso — behave as those around do
  • Georgian: სადაც წახვალ იქაური ქუდი დაიხურე (sadac c̣axval ikauri kudi daixure) — behave as those around do
  • German: andere Länder, andere Sitten — behave as those around do
  • German: man muss mit den Wölfen heulen — behave as those around do
  • Greek: quoted in English — behave as those around do
  • Hebrew: בְּרוֹמָא הִתְנַהֵג כְּרוֹמָאי (b'róma hitnahég k'rómaí) — behave as those around do
  • Hindi: जैसा देश वैसा भेष (jaisā deś vaisā bheṣ) — behave as those around do
  • Hungarian: ha Rómában élsz, élj úgy, mint a rómaiak — behave as those around do
  • Icelandic: sinn er siður í landi hverju — behave as those around do
  • Indonesian: di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung — behave as those around do
  • Irish: fág an tír nó bí san fhaisean — behave as those around do
  • Italian: paese che vai, usanze che trovi — behave as those around do
  • Italian: a Roma, fai come i romani — behave as those around do
  • Italian: quando a Roma vai, fai come vedrai — behave as those around do
  • Italian: quando sei a Roma, vivi come i romani — behave as those around do
  • Japanese: 郷に入っては郷に従え (gō ni itte wa gō ni shitagae) — behave as those around do
  • Japanese: 郷に入りては郷に従え (gō ni irite wa gō ni shitagae) — behave as those around do
  • Korean: 로마에 가면 로마법을 따르라 (roma'e gamyeon romabeobeul ttareura) — behave as those around do
  • Korean: 고을에 들어가면 고을 풍속을 따르라 (go'eure deureogamyeon go'eul pungsogeul ttareura) — behave as those around do
  • Northern Kurdish: li gorî derdor û adetên xwecihî tevgeriyan — behave as those around do
  • Latin: si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī — behave as those around do
  • Lithuanian: Romoje elkis kaip romėnai — behave as those around do
  • Malay: di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung — behave as those around do
  • Malay: masuk ke dalam kandang kambing mengembek, masuk ke dalam kandang kerbau menguak — behave as those around do
  • Maltese: meta tkun Ruma, agħmel bħal Rumani — behave as those around do
  • Norwegian Bokmål: når man er i Rom gjør man som romerne — behave as those around do
  • Persian: خواهی نشوی رسوا همرنگ جماعت شو (xâhi našvi rosvâ hamrang jamâ'at šav) — behave as those around do
  • Polish: jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one — behave as those around do
  • Polish: w czyim chlebie smakujemy, tego i pochlebujemy — behave as those around do
  • Polish: co kraj, to obyczaj — behave as those around do
  • Portuguese: quando em Roma, faça como os romanos — behave as those around do
  • Portuguese: em Roma sê romano — behave as those around do
  • Romanian: la Roma, faci ca romanii — behave as those around do
  • Scottish Gaelic: beus na tuath air am bithear 's e a nithear — behave as those around do
  • Scottish Gaelic: dèan san Òban a rèir an Òbain — behave as those around do
  • Scottish Gaelic: san Òban, dèan mar an t-Òban — behave as those around do
  • Serbo-Croatian: кад си у Риму, понашај се као Римљанин — behave as those around do
  • Serbo-Croatian: kad si u Rimu, ponašaj se kao Rimljanin — behave as those around do
  • Somali: meel Il laga la'yahay ishaa layska tuura — behave as those around do
  • Spanish: allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres — behave as those around do
  • Spanish: si entre burros te ves, rebuzna alguna vez — behave as those around do
  • Spanish: donde fueres haz lo que vieres — behave as those around do
  • Spanish: a donde fueres haz lo que vieres — behave as those around do
  • Swedish: ta seden dit man kommer — behave as those around do
  • Turkish: Roma'dayken Romalılar gibi davran — behave as those around do
  • Vietnamese: nhập gia tùy tục — behave as those around do
  • Vietnamese: nhập gia tùy tục, nhập giang tùy khúc (入家隨俗,入江隨曲, nhập hương tùy tục, đi nước Lào ăn mắm ngoé — behave as those around do
  • Welsh: pan foch yn Rhufain, gwnewch fel y Rhufeiniaid — behave as those around do
  • Welsh: yn Ffrainc rhaid yfed yn ffraeth — behave as those around do
  • Zazaki: Roma dı zey Romayıcan bı — behave as those around do