santificar
/santifiˈkaɾ/
To hallow is to say santificar in Spanish.
The verb santificar means to make holy or to sanctify. While it aligns with the English sense of 'hallow', it is more commonly used in religious or formal contexts than the English word 'hallow', which can sometimes feel archaic.
Meaning: make holy, sanctify (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes according to the subject: santifica means he/she hallows, and santificamos means we hallow. You can also use the past participle santificado as an adjective meaning hallowed or sanctified. The noun form for the act of hallowing or sanctifying is santificación. Related to this verb are the nouns santo and santa, which refer to a holy person.
How do you pronounce it?
/santifiˈkaɾ/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use the adjective santificado in a sarcastic way to describe someone who is pretending to be perfectly innocent or virtuous.
- While santificar is the standard term for hallowing, you might encounter the related verb santiguar, which refers specifically to the physical act of making the sign of the cross.
- The root of santificar is shared with the English word 'sanction', as both come from the Latin sānctus meaning 'consecrated'.
Examples in context
- El sacerdote busca santificar el agua.The priest seeks to sanctify the water.
- Es difícil santificar este lugar con solo palabras.It is difficult to sanctify this place with just words.
- La oración puede santificar tu corazón.Prayer can sanctify your heart.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing their religious duties at the local church.
- LucíaDebemos santificar el altar antes de la misa.We must sanctify the altar before the mass.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Lucía, es un deber sagrado.You are right, Lucía, it is a sacred duty.
- Lucía¿Cómo piensas santificar este espacio?How do you plan to sanctify this space?
- AlejandroUsaré las reliquias que me dio el obispo.I will use the relics the bishop gave me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hallow” translations and entries santificar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries santificar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
