# Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail



## johan81

Hello.
Can anyone please help me translate this qoute into latin?
"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail"
or this one if that easier..
"whether you believe you can or whether you believe you cannot, you are absolutely right"

It would be great if you could help me here! 
Thanks


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## clara mente

Let's take the first one here:"Crede et age tamquam fallere(im)non possibile*fuerit."
*Help me out here, gentlemen. I just noticed that there is no entry for "impossibile", but only one for "possibile". Just a dictionary glitch or was there no negative adjectival for "possibile" in the Classic Era?


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## Whodunit

clara mente said:


> Let's take the first one here:"Crede et age tamquam fallere(im)non possibile*fuerit."
> *Help me out here, gentlemen. I just noticed that there is no entry for "impossibile", but only one for "possibile". Just a dictionary glitch or was there no negative adjectival for "possibile" in the Classic Era?


 
Well, I, too, noticed that on the English-Latin pages (German-Latin with me) there's no entry for "impossible", but having a look at the Latin word list, I find "impossibilis, e". There are also some hits on Google.

Therefore, I'd say it was used, but very rarely. I'd say the same sentence as: _Crede et age quasi non possibile sit, quin fallas_ or a bit shorter _Crede et age quasi fallare non possis._

As for the second sentence, I would say it like this:

_Velut si credas quod possis aut non possis, rectus quidem eris._

I'm not 100% sure if the auxiliary "posse" can be used as a full verb like in this sentence, but I believe I've seen sentences in which an auxiliary was used as a full verb.


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## jazyk

> Crede et age tamquam fallere(im)non possibile*fuerit."


_Crede et age tamquam fallere non possibile sit. _The _consecutio temporum_ requires the verb in the main clause and the verb in the conformative clause to be in the present.



> _Crede et age quasi non possibile sit, quin fallas_ or a bit shorter _Crede et age quasi fallare non possis._


_
Crede et age quasi non possibile sit ut fallas. _I don't think _quin _is possible in a sentence without a _verbum impediendi, obstandi_ or _prohibendi_.
_Crede et age quasi fallere non possis. _The infinitive is fall*e*re.
_
_


> _Velut si credas quod possis aut non possis, rectus quidem eris._


_
Velut si credas te potere aut non potere, rationem/iudicium/sapientiam habes. _After _credere_ an accusative subject is necessary. _Rectus esse_ means to be straight, like a line.

My dictionary has _impossibis, e.

_Jazyk


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## clara mente

jazyk said:


> _Crede et age tamquam fallere non possibile sit. _The _consecutio temporum_ requires the verb in the main clause and the verb in the conformative clause to be in the present.
> 
> 
> My dictionary has _impossibis, e._
> 
> Jazyk


Yes indeed, Jazyk, good catch. One of my main problems is glossing over the verb "were" and automatically assuming past tense and therefore throwing off the sequence of tenses.


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## johan81

Thanks you guys! 
Do you agre about this translation then? 
Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail - Crede et age quasi fallere non possis
Its important because i'm gonna tatoo it on myself..


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## Whodunit

johan81 said:


> Thanks you guys!
> Do you agre about this translation then?
> Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail - Crede et age quasi fallere non possis
> Its important because i'm gonna tatoo it on myself..


 
Yes, I think that's a good translation*. 

*Not least because laid the foundations for it.


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