vigilia
/biˈxilja/feminine
The Spanish word for vigil is vigilia.
vigilia refers to the state of keeping awake.
Meaning: keeping awake (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/biˈxilja/
Did you know?
- In a religious context, vigilia refers to both the act of staying awake and the practice of abstaining from meat for spiritual reasons.
- While vigilia describes the state of being awake, the phrase velorio is used specifically for the wake or vigil held for a deceased person.
- The word vigilia shares the same root as vigilar, which means 'to watch over' or 'to police'.
Examples in context
- La vigilia católica se llevará a cabo en la iglesia mañana por la noche.The Catholic vigil will take place at the church tomorrow night.
- El servicio de vigilia tendrá lugar en la catedral para honrar a los fallecidos.The vigil service will take place at the cathedral to honor the deceased.
- Pasé una noche en vela cuidando a mi hermana pequeña mientras estaba enferma.I spent a sleepless night taking care of my little sister while she was sick.
- La vigilia fue muy larga esa noche.The vigil was very long that night.
- Mantuvieron la vigilia durante toda la madrugada.They kept a vigil throughout the early morning hours.
- Su estado de vigilia es muy ligero.His state of wakefulness is very light.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking after a night of watching over someone.
- DanielDaniel, ¿estás cansado por la vigilia?Daniel, are you tired from the vigil?
- ElenaSí, Elena, no dormí nada.Yes, Elena, I didn't sleep at all.
- DanielYo también terminé la vigilia agotada.I also finished the vigil exhausted.
- ElenaAhora podemos dormir un poco.Now we can sleep a little.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vigil” translations and entries vigilia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
