when in Rome saying

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Used to say that you should follow the customs of a place you are visiting, even if they seem strange.

   Grammar: Stands alone as a comment, or introduces a clause: When in Rome, order what the locals order.

   Patterns

   • when in Rome, do as the Romans do
   • when in Rome, ...

   When in Rome — everyone here takes their shoes off at the door, so I did too.

   My host family eats dinner at ten at night, and when in Rome, I eat at ten as well.

   She hated the loud music, but when in Rome, she stayed and danced.

2. 2phraseidiomold-fashioned

   The full traditional form of this saying, meaning you should copy local behavior when you are in a new place.

   Grammar: The long form is fixed; you can shorten it to just 'When in Rome.'

   Patterns

   • when in Rome, do as the Romans do

   My grandmother always said, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'

   He quoted 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' before trying the raw fish.

Common combinations

when in Rome, do as the Romans do

The full saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'

when in Rome, as they say

We queued for hours — when in Rome, as they say.

follow local customs

The saying tells travelers to follow local customs.

Synonyms and how they differ

go with the flow

This is more general — it means accept whatever happens, not specifically copying local customs abroad.

do as the locals do

A plain paraphrase of the saying rather than a separate idiom; useful when you want to avoid the Latin name.

Commonly confused: when in Rome saying or Rome wasn't built in a day?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “when in Rome saying”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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