Pater noster

Our Father

Level 1

The first lines of the Lord's Prayer, learned whole.

How It Works

LatinEnglish
Pater noster, qui es in caelis,Our Father, who are in heaven,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.hallowed be your name.
Adveniat regnum tuum.Your kingdom come.
Fiat voluntas tua,Your will be done,
sicut in caelo et in terra.as in heaven, so on earth.

In Church Latin the first line sounds like PAH-ter NOS-ter KWEE es in CHEH-lees. In classical Latin it is PAH-ter NOS-ter KWEE es in KYE-lees.

Choirs and readers know this text by heart. Say it aloud a few times before you study its parts.

The prayer comes from the Gospel of Matthew. Some Vulgate texts read qui in caelis es and veniat. The Clementine Vulgate and the Roman Missal have qui es in caelis and adveniat, the wording used here.

Examples (5)

  1. Pater noster, qui es in caelis.

    Our Father, who are in heaven.

    In caelis is in plus the ablative plural, the same pattern as in horto.

  2. Sanctificetur nomen tuum.

    Hallowed be your name.

    A wish: may your name be made holy. Nomen is the subject.

  3. Adveniat regnum tuum.

    Your kingdom come.

    A wish: may your kingdom come. Regnum is a neuter noun and the subject.

  4. Fiat voluntas tua.

    Your will be done.

    A wish: let your will be done. Voluntas is the subject.

  5. Sicut in caelo et in terra.

    As in heaven, so on earth.

    Two in phrases joined by et: in caelo and in terra.

How It Connects

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

Pater nosterLevel 1Our Father

Learn This First

The Pater Noster is prayed in Church Latin, so the Church sounds come first.

Words in This Pattern

paternosterPater noster