La pace sia con te
/la ˈpa.t͡ʃe ˈsi.a kon te/word by word
The Italian phrase for "peace be with you" is La pace sia con te.
This phrase is used as a formal greeting or a blessing to wish someone peace.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of La pace (the peace), sia (be) and con te (with you).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sia is the third-person singular present subjunctive form of the verb essere (to be), which is used here to express a wish or a blessing. To address more than one person or to use the formal you in a religious or highly respectful context, you can change te to voi to say La pace sia con voi.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress is on the second syllable of the five-syllable phrase.
Did you know?
- If someone is speaking very loudly or creating a commotion, an Italian might ironically shout Pace!, meaning 'enough' or 'be quiet'.
- While La pace sia con te is a spiritual blessing, the word pace is used in the everyday expression fare pace to mean 'making up' after a fight.
- The word pace is rooted in the ancient Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-, a term that has survived for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- Che la pace sia con te.Peace be with you.This sentence shows how to use the form La pace sia con te to express a blessing.Tatoeba #2790241 by Guybrush88, translation #2306854 by MethodGT
- La pace sia con te in questo giorno.Peace be with you on this day.
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo meet at a spiritual retreat.
- SofiaCiao Matteo, la pace sia con te.Hello Matteo, peace be with you.
- MatteoGrazie Sofia, e sia anche con te.Thank you Sofia, and be with you as well.
- SofiaSpero che tu stia bene oggi.I hope you are doing well today.
- MatteoSì, mi sento molto tranquillo.Yes, I feel very peaceful.
