pregare
/preˈɡa.re/
To pray in Italian is pregare.
pregare means to talk to God. In a religious context, you use the preposition per when praying for a specific person or thing, such as pregare per la pace (to pray for peace). Outside of religious contexts, the verb is used to mean begging or entreating. You can use the construction pregare qualcuno di [infinitive] to mean imploring or strongly requesting someone to do something.
Meaning: to talk to God (verb)
Which one should you use?
While often used for religious prayer, pregare also covers the English sense of 'to beg' or 'to entreat'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is frequently used in the subjunctive mood to express wishes or prayers.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /preˈɡa.re/.
Did you know?
- Italians use the phrase prego as a response to 'thank you'. While it literally means 'I pray' or 'I beg', it functions here as 'you are welcome' or 'my pleasure'.
- The Latin root of pregare is also the ancestor of the English word 'precarious'. This links the act of praying or begging to the feeling of being in an uncertain or unstable position.
- In formal Italian signage, the phrase Si prega di is used to politely ask people to do something, such as Si prega di non fumare (please do not smoke). In this context, the 'prayer' has evolved into a standard polite command.
Examples in context
- Non posso pregare ora.I cannot pray now.This sentence demonstrates the use of pregare in a negative statement.Tatoeba #1686882 by Guybrush88, translation #1686821 by Amastan
- Io non posso pregare ora.I can't pray now.Tatoeba #1686883 by Guybrush88, translation #6873476 by CK
- Noi dobbiamo pregare Dio.We must pray to God.This sentence shows how to use pregare with a direct object like God.Tatoeba #12887969 by Guybrush88, translation #6090610 by mailohilohi
- Prego Dio.I pray to God.
- Prego San Francesco.I pray to Saint Francis.
- Prego per te.I pray for you.
- Recito una preghiera.I recite a prayer.
- Recita un Padre Nostro.Recite an Our Father prayer.
- Prego per te ogni giorno.I pray for you every day.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are in a quiet church.
- MartinaVoglio pregare un momento in silenzio.I want to pray for a moment in silence.
- MatteoPosso pregare anche io con te?Can I pray with you too?
- MartinaSì, Matteo, preghiamo insieme.Yes, Matteo, let us pray together.
- MatteoGrazie, Martina, è un momento bello.Thank you, Martina, it is a beautiful moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pray” translations and entries pregare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pregare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
