The Hail Mary in Italian is the “Ave Maria,” which today begins “Ave, o Maria, piena di grazia, il Signore è con te”: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee”; the traditional form, taught in the Catechism of Pope St. Pius X, began “Dio ti salvi, o Maria,” “God save you, Mary.” Italians pray it in the Rosary, at the Angelus bells and at shrines such as Loreto and Pompeii. Below is the traditional Italian text from the 1905 catechism of St. Pius X, today’s wording, a pronunciation guide, a line-by-line translation, and the English Hail Mary.
The Ave Maria in Italian (traditional)
From Pius X, Compendio della dottrina cristiana (Rome, 1905):
Dio ti salvi, o Maria, piena di grazia. Il Signore è teco. Tu sei benedetta fra le donne, e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno Gesù. Santa Maria, Madre di Dio, prega per noi peccatori, adesso e nell’ora della morte nostra. Così sia.
Today’s wording
Most Italians now pray the Ave Maria with a few changes:
- “Ave, o Maria” instead of “Dio ti salvi, o Maria.”
- “il Signore è con te” instead of the older “il Signore è teco.”
- “nell’ora della nostra morte” instead of “nell’ora della morte nostra.”
- “Amen” instead of “Così sia.”
How to pronounce it
Italian is read as it is written (stressed syllables in capitals):
AH-veh oh mah-REE-ah, pee-EH-nah dee GRAH-tsee-ah,
eel see-NYOH-reh EH kohn TEH.
too SAY beh-neh-DET-tah frah leh DOHN-neh,
eh beh-neh-DET-toh EH eel FROOT-toh dehl TOO-oh SEH-noh, jeh-ZOO.
SAHN-tah mah-REE-ah, MAH-dreh dee DEE-oh, PREH-gah pehr NOY pek-kah-TOH-ree,
ah-DESS-oh eh NEL-loh-rah DEL-lah NOH-strah MOR-teh. AH-men.
Tips: “gn” sounds like “ny” (Signore); “z” in grazia sounds like “ts”; double consonants are held a little longer (benedetta, frutto).
Line-by-line translation
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Dio ti salvi (Ave), o Maria, piena di grazia | Hail, Mary, full of grace |
| il Signore è teco (è con te) | the Lord is with thee |
| Tu sei benedetta fra le donne | blessed art thou among women |
| e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno, Gesù | and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus |
| Santa Maria, Madre di Dio | Holy Mary, Mother of God |
| prega per noi peccatori | pray for us sinners |
| adesso e nell’ora della morte nostra | now and at the hour of our death |
| Così sia (Amen) | Amen |
The Hail Mary in English
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say the Hail Mary in Italian?
Today: “Ave, o Maria, piena di grazia, il Signore è con te…” Traditionally: “Dio ti salvi, o Maria, piena di grazia…”
Is the Italian Ave Maria the same as Schubert’s “Ave Maria”?
No. Schubert’s famous song (1825) set a German translation of a poem by Walter Scott; it is often sung with the words of the Latin Hail Mary. The prayer itself is the Ave Maria.
What is the Glory Be in Italian?
From the same catechism:
Gloria al Padre, al Figlio e allo Spirito Santo, come era nel principio, adesso e sempre e nei secoli dei secoli. Così sia.
More prayers in other languages
- Our Father in Italian
- Hail Mary in Latin
- Hail Mary in Spanish
- Hail Mary in French
- Hail Mary prayer
- Preghiere dei fedeli (Italian)
Texts and sources
- Pius X, Compendio della dottrina cristiana (Rome, 1905), Prime nozioni di catechismo, Capo II, public domain (Italian Wikisource).
- English Hail Mary: see the Hail Mary prayer page for its source.