The Hail Mary in Latin is the Ave Maria: “Ave, Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum…” It is the form in which the prayer was said throughout the Western Church for centuries, and it is still sung and prayed in Latin at Mass, in the Rosary and in countless musical settings. Below is the full Latin text, a simple pronunciation guide in Church (Ecclesiastical) Latin, a word-by-word translation, the traditional English, and where each phrase comes from in the Bible.
The Ave Maria in Latin
From the Latin Wikisource text:
Ave, Maria, grátia plena,
Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus,
et benedíctus fructus ventris tui,
Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatóribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.
Amen.
How to pronounce the Ave Maria
In Church Latin, as it is sung and prayed in Rome (stressed syllables in capitals):
AH-veh, mah-REE-ah, GRAH-tsee-ah PLEH-nah,
DOH-mee-noos TEH-koom.
beh-neh-DEEK-tah too een moo-lee-EH-ree-boos,
eht beh-neh-DEEK-toos FROOK-toos VEN-trees TOO-ee, YEH-soos.
SAHNK-tah mah-REE-ah, MAH-tehr DEH-ee,
OH-rah proh NOH-bees pek-kah-TOH-ree-boos,
noonk eht een OH-rah MOR-tees NOH-streh.
AH-men.
Tips: “ti” before a vowel sounds like “tsee” (gratia); “ae” and “æ” sound like “eh” (nostrae); “c” before e or i sounds like “ch,” and “Iesus” begins with a “y” sound.
Word-by-word translation
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Ave, Maria | Hail, Mary |
| gratia plena | full of grace |
| Dominus tecum | the Lord (is) with thee |
| benedicta tu in mulieribus | blessed (art) thou among women |
| et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus | and blessed (is) the fruit of thy womb, Jesus |
| Sancta Maria, Mater Dei | Holy Mary, Mother of God |
| ora pro nobis peccatoribus | pray for us sinners |
| nunc et in hora mortis nostrae | now and at the hour of our death |
| 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.
Where the words come from
- “Ave, Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum” is the greeting of the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation (Luke 1:28).
- “Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui” is the greeting of St. Elizabeth at the Visitation (Luke 1:42).
- “Iesus” was added in the Middle Ages to name the “fruit” of Mary’s womb.
- “Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis…” is the Church’s petition, which came into use in the fifteenth century and was fixed in its present form in the Roman Breviary of Pope St. Pius V (1568). The title “Mother of God” (Theotokos) was solemnly confirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431.
The Ave Maria in music
The Latin Ave Maria has been set to music by composers such as Tomás Luis de Victoria, Josquin des Prez, Charles Gounod (on Bach’s Prelude in C), Anton Bruckner and Franz Biebl. Franz Schubert’s famous “Ave Maria” was first written to a German translation of a poem by Walter Scott; it is now usually sung with the Latin words of the prayer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hail Mary in Latin?
The Ave Maria, which begins “Ave, Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.” The full text is at the top of this page.
Is it “Jesus” or “Iesus” in Latin?
Classical spelling uses “Iesus”; older books often print “Jesus.” Both are pronounced “YEH-soos.”
Can I pray the Rosary in Latin?
Yes. See the Latin Rosary prayers.
More Latin prayers
- Hail Mary in French
- Hail Mary in Italian
- Apostles’ Creed in Latin
- Catholic prayers in Latin
- Our Father in Latin
- St. Michael prayer in Latin
- Latin Rosary prayers
- Hail Mary prayer
- Salve Regina
Texts and sources
- Ave Maria, Latin Wikisource (la.wikisource.org), public domain.
- Hail Mary, Baltimore Catechism No. 3 (Kinkead, 1891), public domain (Project Gutenberg #14553).
- Pronunciation guide and word-by-word translation written for this page.