Je vous salue Marie
masculine
The English phrase "hail mary" is translated into French as Je vous salue Marie.
Je vous salue Marie refers to the Christian prayer known in English as the Hail Mary. In this phrase, Marie is the French name for Mary.
Meaning: prayer (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Je vous salue Marie means "I greet you, Mary".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Je vous salue Marie, the verb salue is in the first-person singular present tense.
Did you know?
- While the English phrase 'hail' sounds like a weather event or a shout, the French salue comes from the much more formal and poetic concept of 'salutation' or greeting.
- The pronoun je in the prayer is a direct descendant of the Latin 'ego', which is the root of the English word 'ego'.
- The use of vous in Je vous salue Marie is a formal address to the Virgin Mary, treating her with the respect traditionally accorded to a person of high status.
Examples in context
- Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce.Hail Mary, full of grace.This sentence is useful for seeing the start of the prayer with the phrase Je vous salue Marie.Tatoeba #6634407 by GB3, translation #6633275 by Reonaato
- Je vous salue, Marie.I hail you, Mary.
- Il a récité le Je vous salue Marie.He recited the Hail Mary.
- Elle murmure le Je vous salue Marie.She whispers the Hail Mary.
Example conversation
Two people are sitting in a quiet church.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu connais le Je vous salue Marie ?Do you know the Hail Mary?
- LucasOui, je peux le réciter pour toi.Yes, I can recite it for you.
- ChloéMerci, Lucas, c'est très gentil.Thank you, Lucas, that is very kind.
- LucasDe rien, Chloé, je suis ravi d'aider.You're welcome, Chloé, I am happy to help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail mary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Marie, je, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
