ProverbWisdomLatin origin

You're never too old to learn

Meaning: Learning is a lifelong process.

Origin: Seneca, mocked for attending philosophy lectures in old age, answered in his 76th letter to Lucilius that one must keep learning as long as one is ignorant — and, if we believe the proverb, as long as one lives. The idea was already proverbial in his day.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Dutch, and 2 more languages

  • French: On apprend à tout âge (literally: You learn at every age)
  • Spanish: Nunca es tarde para aprender (literally: It's never late to learn)
  • Japanese: 六十の手習い (Rokujū no tenarai) (literally: Taking up calligraphy at sixty)
  • German: Man lernt nie aus (literally: One never finishes learning)
  • Dutch: Men is nooit te oud om te leren (literally: One is never too old to learn)
  • Russian: Век живи — век учись (Vek zhivi — vek uchis') (literally: Live a lifetime, learn a lifetime)
  • Polish: Człowiek uczy się całe życie (literally: A person learns all their life)

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