avemaría
/ˌabemaˈɾia/
Hail Mary in Spanish is avemaría.
avemaría refers to the prayer Hail Mary.
Meaning: prayer (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of ave (hail/greeting) and maría (Mary).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌabemaˈɾia/
Did you know?
- While it refers to a prayer, the term avemaría is also used colloquially in some regions to describe an exclamation of surprise or disbelief, similar to 'Good heavens'.
- The Spanish word ave for 'bird' is spelled exactly like the ave in avemaría, though they have entirely different origins and meanings.
- The word ave in avemaría is a fossilized form of the Latin 'ave', a greeting that is no longer used in everyday modern Spanish conversation.
Examples in context
- Estamos básicamente en una situación de avemaría.We're basically in a Hail Mary situation.Tatoeba #6092776 by albrusgher, translation #2982282 by Hybrid
- Ella rezó un avemaría antes de dormir.She prayed a Hail Mary before sleeping.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are visiting an old church.
- DanielLucía, ¿sabes cómo rezar el avemaría?Lucía, do you know how to pray the Hail Mary?
- LucíaSí, Daniel, mi abuela me lo enseñó.Yes, Daniel, my grandmother taught it to me.
- DanielPodemos rezar un avemaría juntos ahora.We can pray a Hail Mary together now.
- LucíaMe parece una idea muy buena.I think that is a very good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail mary” translations and entries avemaría, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avemaría, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
