when in Rome, do as the Romans do
- idiom
- Informal
:
cuando estés en Roma, haz como los romanos
- When you travel to a new country, it's best to remember: when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Examples
-
She always tries to fit in wherever she goes, firmly believing when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
-
As the company culture was very formal, he thought it wise to when in Rome, do as the Romans do and wear a suit.
-
You should when in Rome, do as the Romans do when traveling.
-
While in Japan, I always when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
-
When traveling to a new country, remember that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
-
She learned to enjoy the local cuisine because when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
-
As he immersed himself in the culture, he realized that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Synonyms
96
3.2
Think and act like other people or follow rules
93
3.4
To follow a rule or tradition by doing what it asks
9
5.4
To do what people in charge expect and follow the rules exactly
Act like local people when you visit a place
Antonyms
How Conforming
172
3.0
- Informal
77
6.1
150
3.0
311
2.2
48
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
when + in + Rome, + do + as + the + Roman + do
The proverb's meaning is directly derived from its parts: 'when in Rome' = 'when you are in a place' and 'do as the Romans do' = 'behave like the local people', so the overall instruction to follow local customs is compositionally transparent. This pattern (act like the locals) is cross-linguistically common and a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
When in Rome, do as the Romans do is an old saying that gives a clear picture: if you are visiting a place, watch what the local people do and copy them to fit in. So, it means 'follow the customs or behavior of the place you are in'.