persignarse
/peɾsiɡˈnaɾse/
The phrase "bless yourself" in Spanish is translated as persignarse.
The term refers to the religious act of making the sign of the cross over oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
When giving a command to a single person to bless themselves, you use the imperative form persígnate.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsiɡˈnaɾse/
Did you know?
- While persignarse refers to the specific ritual of making the cross on oneself, the general act of making the sign of the cross on a person or object is often called santiguarse.
- The word persignarse shares a root with the English word 'sign', coming from the Latin 'signum', meaning a mark or token.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the act of persignarse is often an almost unconscious reflex performed before starting a meal or when passing a church.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are entering a small village chapel.
- MaríaAlejandro, no olvides persignarse al entrar.Alejandro, don't forget to bless yourself when entering.
- AlejandroTienes razón, María. Lo haré ahora.You are right, María. I will do it now.
- MaríaEs una muestra de respeto en este lugar.It is a sign of respect in this place.
- AlejandroYa está, ya me persigné.Done, I have already blessed myself.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry persignarse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
