Pater Noster — the Our Father in Latin: Text, Translation and Meaning
The Pater Noster is the best-known prayer in Christianity — the Our Father in Latin (also called the Lord’s Prayer), prayed in the Roman rite for centuries. It goes back to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6).
On this page you’ll find the full Latin text, a line-by-line English translation, the meaning of each petition, the origin and a pronunciation guide:
- the full Latin text of the Pater Noster
- the English translation, line by line
- the meaning of the seven petitions, origin (Matthew 6 / Luke 11) and pronunciation
If you want not only to pray the Pater Noster but also to understand and read the Latin, the original text from Matthew’s Gospel is available as a reading in the Lapicida app, opened up word by word.
What is the Pater Noster (Our Father) in Latin?
The Pater Noster begins with the words “Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum” — “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” It is the traditional Latin form of the Our Father from Matthew 6:9–13 and ends with “sed libera nos a malo. Amen.” — “but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
Pater Noster — Latin text with line-by-line translation
Here is the complete Pater Noster in the traditional liturgical form (Latin on the left, English on the right):
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Pater noster, qui es in caelis, | Our Father, who art in heaven, |
| sanctificetur nomen tuum. | hallowed be thy name. |
| Adveniat regnum tuum. | Thy kingdom come. |
| Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra. | Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. |
| Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie. | Give us this day our daily bread. |
| Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. | And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. |
| Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, | And lead us not into temptation, |
| sed libera nos a malo. | but deliver us from evil. |
| Amen. | Amen. |
Prayed as a continuous text: Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie; et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Grammar note for learners: the petitions use the subjunctive of wish (sanctificetur, adveniat, fiat) and the imperative (da, dimitte, libera); “ne nos inducas” is a negated subjunctive (prohibitive).
Meaning: the seven petitions of the Our Father
After the address, the Pater Noster has seven petitions — the first three turned toward God, the next four toward human needs:
| Petition (Latin) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sanctificetur nomen tuum | May God’s name be hallowed and honoured. |
| adveniat regnum tuum | May God’s kingdom come. |
| fiat voluntas tua | May God’s will be done — on earth as in heaven. |
| panem nostrum … da nobis hodie | A request for what we need to live — our “daily bread”. |
| dimitte nobis debita nostra | A plea for forgiveness of our own guilt — bound to our readiness to forgive others. |
| ne nos inducas in tentationem | A prayer not to fall in the time of temptation. |
| libera nos a malo | A plea for deliverance from evil. |
Memory aid: the three “Thy” petitions (nomen – regnum – voluntas) come first, then the four “us” petitions (panem – debita – tentationem – malo).
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
How you learn Latin — from the simple sentence to the original
The Our Father stands in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). In the Lapicida app you read these texts in stages: first gently simplified to your level, then step by step up to the unchanged original. An example from the Beatitudes:
Simplified · Level L9
„Iesus dicit pauperes spiritu beatos esse.“
Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed.
Original · Level L18 (Vulgate, Mt 5:3)
„Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.“
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
That is how you read the Sermon on the Mount — adapted to your level, up to the original. Open the reading in the app.
Origin, the Vulgate version and pronunciation
The Pater Noster comes from the Gospel: the longer, familiar form from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9–13) and a shorter form in Luke 11:2–4. The Latin text goes back to Jerome’s Vulgate (c. 400 AD) and the older Old Latin tradition.
“quotidianum” or “supersubstantialem”? The prayed Our Father says panem nostrum quotidianum (“daily bread”; the spelling cotidianum is also correct). Jerome’s Vulgate of Matthew, however, has the rare word supersubstantialem (“super-substantial”) — his attempt to render the puzzling Greek epiousios in a spiritual sense. In Luke he kept the familiar cotidianum. The liturgy still prays quotidianum.
What about “Quia tuum est regnum”? This doxology is not part of the Pater Noster proper in the Catholic rite — that ends at sed libera nos a malo. The doxology “For thine is the kingdom …” is appended in the Protestant and Orthodox traditions.
Pronunciation (Church Latin): c before e/i sounds like “ch” — caelis = “CHEH-lis”, sanctificetur = “sank-ti-fi-CHEH-tur”. ti before a vowel becomes “tsi”: tentationem = “ten-ta-TSI-o-nem”. In Classical Latin, by contrast, c is always “k” and ae is “eye”.
You can read the Latin original of the Our Father from Matthew 6 word by word in the Lapicida app. The Pater Noster is also the opening prayer of the Rosary in Latin, followed by the Ave Maria in Latin.
Frequently asked questions about the Pater Noster
What does “Pater noster” mean in English?
“Pater noster” literally means “Our Father” and is the Latin name of the Lord’s Prayer, the best-known prayer in Christianity. It begins “Pater noster, qui es in caelis” — “Our Father, who art in heaven” — and is the Latin version of the prayer from Matthew 6.
Where does the Pater Noster come from?
The Pater Noster comes from the New Testament: the long form from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9–13) and a shorter one in Luke 11:2–4. The Latin text goes back to Jerome’s Vulgate (c. 400 AD) and the Old Latin tradition.
Is it “quotidianum” or “cotidianum”?
Both spellings are correct. In Church Latin “quotidianum” is the most widespread; “cotidianum” follows the classical spelling. Either way it means the “daily bread” (panem nostrum quotidianum).
Is “Quia tuum est regnum” part of the Pater Noster?
Not in the Catholic rite: the Pater Noster ends with “sed libera nos a malo”. The doxology “Quia tuum est regnum” (“For thine is the kingdom”) is appended in the Protestant and Orthodox traditions.
How do you pronounce the Pater Noster?
In Church Latin, “c” before e/i sounds like “ch” (caelis = “CHEH-lis”) and “ti” before a vowel like “tsi” (tentationem). In Classical Latin, “c” is always “k” and “ae” is pronounced “eye”.
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
