The Hail Mary in Latin begins with the angelic greeting from Luke 1:28 and the words of Elizabeth from Luke 1:42. It is one of the easiest and most beautiful places to begin learning Catholic Latin because many Catholics already know the prayer by heart in English.
Full Latin Text
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
Pronunciation
In Ecclesiastical Latin, say Ave as AH-veh, gratia as GRAH-tsee-ah, plena as PLEH-nah, and caelis in other prayers as CHEH-lees. The letter v sounds like English v, and ti before a vowel often sounds like tsee.
Word by Word
| Latin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ave | Hail |
| Maria | Mary |
| gratia plena | full of grace |
| Dominus tecum | the Lord is with you |
| Benedicta tu | blessed are you |
| in mulieribus | among women |
| fructus ventris tui | the fruit of your womb |
| Mater Dei | Mother of God |
| ora pro nobis | pray for us |
| peccatoribus | sinners |
| nunc et in hora | now and at the hour |
| mortis nostrae | of our death |
Study Tip
Do not begin by memorizing every grammar label. Pray one line slowly, listen to the sound, then learn the two or three words that carry the meaning. Latin becomes less intimidating when it begins as prayer.
Free printable Ave Maria prayer card (PDF)
One-page prayer card with full Latin text, English translation, word-by-word table, and Ecclesiastical pronunciation. Print it or save it to your phone.
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