avemaría
/ˌabemaˈɾia/
The English phrase "hail mary prayer" is translated into Spanish as avemaría.
avemaría refers to the traditional Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary. When describing the act of performing this prayer, Spanish speakers typically use the phrase rezar el Avemaría (to pray the Hail Mary), utilizing the verb rezar (to pray or recite).
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the Latin-derived ave, which means hail or greeting and maría, meaning Mary.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌabemaˈɾia/
Did you know?
- In certain rural areas of Latin America, an avemaría is used as a colloquial unit of time, describing the duration it takes to recite the prayer.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word avemaría is used as a mild exclamation of surprise or shock, similar to saying 'good heavens' in English.
- In Spanish, the word ave also means 'bird', which can lead to a humorous mental image of a 'Mary bird' if one does not recognize the Latin greeting.
Examples in context
- Ella reza un avemaría cada noche.She prays a hail mary every night.
- Mi abuela siempre dice el avemaría.My grandmother always says the hail mary.
- Aprendí a decir el avemaría de niño.I learned to say the hail mary as a child.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are sitting in a church.
- Sofía¿Quieres rezar un avemaría conmigo?Do you want to pray a hail mary with me?
- AlejandroSí, Sofía, sería un honor.Yes, Sofía, it would be an honor.
- SofíaEmpecemos entonces con el avemaría.Let's start with the hail mary then.
- AlejandroEstoy listo para rezar contigo.I am ready to pray with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry avemaría, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
