Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| postrado | /posˈtɾado/ |
| acostado boca abajo | /akostado boka abaxo/ (from spelling rules) |
| prostrado (disused) |
As an adjective, 'prostrate' describes someone lying flat or facedown. If you want to describe the literal physical position of lying face down without the heavy connotations of illness or worship, use the phrase acostado boca abajo. To describe the action of prostrating oneself, such as bowing down in a gesture of worship, respect or submission, use the reflexive verb postrarse.
Which one should you use?
While prostrado is a formal translation of 'prostrate' as an adjective, it is considered archaic or disused in modern Spanish. Use postrado to describe someone lying down due to physical exhaustion, illness or a physical position. For the verb form, the informal way to say 'to prostrate' is tirarse al suelo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective postrado must agree in gender with the subject: use postrada for a female subject and postrados when referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group.
How do you pronounce it?
/posˈtɾado/
Did you know?
- In some traditional Catholic contexts in Spain and Latin America, the act of postrarse is a specific liturgical gesture reserved for the most solemn moments of a funeral or Good Friday.
- While postrado describes a physical position, it is frequently used in Spanish to describe a state of deep emotional depression or spiritual defeat.
- The word bajo in the phrase boca abajo shares a common root with the English word 'abase', which means to lower someone's dignity.
Examples in context
- Después del largo maratón, se postró de agotamiento.After the long marathon, he fell prostrate from exhaustion.
- Cayó echado de bruces en la playa.He fell prostrate on the beach.
- María observó cómo el devoto estaba postrado en oración.Mary watched as the devotee lay prostrate in prayer.
- El paciente estaba postrado debido a complicaciones relacionadas con la gripe.The patient was prostrate from flu-related complications.
- El soldado permaneció postrado ante el rey.The soldier remained prostrate before the king.
- Se encontró postrado en el césped del jardín.He was found lying facedown on the garden grass.
Example conversation
Mateo describes a scene from a movie to Sofía.
- MateoEl protagonista termina postrado en el piso.The protagonist ends up prostrate on the floor.
- Sofía¿Por qué ocurre eso, Mateo?Why does that happen, Mateo?
- MateoEstá demasiado débil para levantarse.He is too weak to get up.
- SofíaParece una escena muy triste.It seems like a very sad scene.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prostrate” translations and entries postrado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abajo, acostado, boca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
