Real quotes, with the source named

How this site is different

The internet is full of quotations with a famous name attached and nothing else. Many of them are wrong. On this site every quotation comes with the person and the work it is taken from: the play and scene, the novel, the essay, the speech and its date. If we could not point to a source, we left the line out.

We include only people who died before 1955, whose words are in the public domain. That is why you will find Shakespeare, Tagore, Gandhi, Vivekananda, Ghalib and Lincoln here, and not living authors or recent film dialogues.

How to use it

1. Choose a person above, or type a word in the search box (for example: hope, truth, friend).
2. Tap Copy or WhatsApp. The source is copied along with the quotation, so the credit travels with the words.
3. Tap Save to keep a favourite on this device.

Before you forward a quotation you found somewhere else, see Famous quotes that were never said. It also explains how to check a quotation yourself.

Questions people ask

Are these quotations real?

Each one is given with the work it comes from, so that anyone can check it. We leave out lines that have no traceable source, however popular they are. If you find an error, please tell us.

Why only people who died before 1955?

Their published words are in the public domain, so they can be shared freely. Words of living or recent authors usually belong to the author or publisher.

Why is a famous quote missing?

Usually because it cannot be traced to the person it is credited to. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is one example. See our page on misattributed quotes.

Can I use these in a school project, speech or post?

Yes. Public domain quotations are free for everyone to use. Keep the name and the source with the line. It is good manners and it makes your work look careful.

Is the source copied too?

Yes. Copy and WhatsApp include the name of the person and the work under the quotation, and verse keeps its line breaks.