Sursum corda

Lift Up Your Hearts

Level 1

A call and its answer, learned whole.

How It Works

PriestPeople
Dominus vobiscum. The Lord be with you.Et cum spiritu tuo. And with your spirit.
Sursum corda. Lift up your hearts.Habemus ad Dominum. We lift them up to the Lord.
Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.Dignum et iustum est. It is right and just.

Sursum is the adverb upward, and corda is the plural of cor, heart. Habemus is we have, and ad Dominum is to the Lord.

The c of corda sounds like k in both pronunciations, because c before o is k.

The same dialogue opens every preface of the Mass, so a Church Latin learner hears it many times.

Examples (5)

  1. Sursum corda.

    Lift up your hearts.

    Sursum means upward. Corda is the plural of cor, heart.

  2. Habemus ad Dominum.

    We lift them up to the Lord.

    Literally we have them to the Lord. Habemus is we have.

  3. Dominus vobiscum.

    The Lord be with you.

    The greeting that opens the dialogue.

  4. Et cum spiritu tuo.

    And with your spirit.

    The people answer.

  5. Dignum et iustum est.

    It is right and just.

    Dignum and iustum are neuter and agree with an unspoken it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Sursum cordaLevel 1Lift Up Your Hearts

Learn This First

Sursum corda is the next call in the Mass dialogue after Dominus vobiscum, so that greeting comes first.

Words in This Pattern

sursumcor