Translation - English-Latin - Life is just one day

Vita solum unus dies es.

Ok?

Oh. Isn't "unus" already implying "solum"? I was taught so

You probably thought about "solus", Alex. Didn't you? This one has an implied "solum" indeed, but, however, "solus" wouldn't work for the sentence.

Uhm, I am a bit confused.

I seem to remember that unus was never used as an indeterminative article (like in Italian) because the bare noun, for instance dies, could mean both "the day" and "a day". So they used unus only when they wanted to underline singularity, for instance when they wanted to say "only one day" - "just one day" - "merely one day" - "one day and no more".

Have I lived until now with such a wrong belief?

To some extent you are right, dear. This rule works for instance in a sentence like
"Te unum amo" - I love only you.

But I don't think it could work here. If it could, how would you say in Latin: "Life is one day"?

Ok, let's ask Efylove's opinion.

Efee?




CC: Efylove

But if you don't like: Vita solum unus dies est. I believe there is one more option possible:

Vita singulus dies est.

"Singulus" - single, only one

We pointed out the same error at the same time!!

I made the same mistake in my first post!

Well, that happened because I had copied your version first and then I added "solum". Hadn't noticed that "es" before! Hahaha!

Hi dear Aneta & alex!
I agree with alex about the use of "unus" as "only one".
For example, our friend Cicero writes: "Itaque ille unus dies ... tantae mihi iucunditati fuit ut ...". In Quintilianus you can also find: "Tota vita hominis unus dies est".
Hope it helps!

Thanks Efee!
You're right, we certainly need to follow our friends Cicero and Quintilianus.

Can you see, Alex? I can be wrong too.