# Spanish speakers: what is your word for prayer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724 "2025-10-06T17:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/1 "2025-10-06T17:47:42Z")
Google Translate gives me oracion— oration. A nice word but I don’t think it’s correct. How would you say, “the priest says a prayer during Mass”? Also, do you guys have a placeholder word for an object whose name you don’t know? I’m English we would say a “gizmo” or a “doohickey” or something. As in, the mechanic tells his coworker, “hand me that doohickey there.” ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/2 "2025-10-06T17:58:32Z")
Oración is correct. Synonyms: rezo, plegaria, jaculatoria, rogativa, preces, azalá, invocación, deprecación, súplica. It may be confusing that the **[word oración](https://dle.rae.es/oraci%C3%B3n)** also means sentence (like phrase: subject, verb, object, not the verdict of a jury). There are many placeholders, you can say for instance, _el comosellame_, (the whateveritiscalled) or _el nosequé_ (the idontknowwhat) or _el coso ese_ (that thingy there). I guess there will be a great regional variance on those, South America being so big and diverse. Those examples were from Spain. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/3 "2025-10-06T18:20:17Z")
Another whatchamacallit word is chingadera. I think it’s mostly in Mecico and the U.S. Not to be used in polite company though. It’s based on chingar, the equivalent of the f word in English. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/4 "2025-10-06T18:33:12Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > How would you say, “the priest says a prayer during Mass”? You have several options: El sacerdote ora durante la homilía. El cura reza durante la misa. El padre dice una plegaria durante la prédica. El capellán ruega en misa. El clérigo soltó su sermón. El pastor se dirigió a su rebaño invocando un ser imaginario. I doubt Google would suggest the last two, but they feel correct to me. ---
**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/5 "2025-10-06T18:38:08Z")
‘Rezar’ is the verb I learned for ‘to pray’. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/6 "2025-10-06T18:46:51Z")
Yes, that too, with some synonyms of which several have other meanings too: To pray: **[rezar](https://dle.rae.es/rezar?m=form)**, orar, rogar, invocar, adorar. Prayer: oración, rezo, plegaria, jaculatoria, rogativa, preces, azalá, invocación, deprecación, súplica (see link in post #2). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/7 "2025-10-07T02:28:52Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Google Translate gives me oracion… I don’t know Spanish, but from my Catholic school days, I remember that _Oremus_ is “let us pray,” and _Ora pro nobis_ is “pray for us,” so pretty closely related. ---
**Author:** ![Xocomil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xocomil/32/14927_2.png) [@Xocomil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xocomil)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/8 "2025-10-07T05:36:30Z")
In modern Spanish it’s _oremos_ and _ora por nosotros_, respectively. I think it’s cool that the word has been almost identical for more than two-thousand years. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/9 "2025-10-07T12:25:36Z")
The only thing I would add is “El coso del cosito” (The thing of the thingy) famously asked for in hardware stores, to the point that many hardware stores have signs to the tune of “If you need a new coso for your cosito, please bring the old one so we can know what kind of coso are we talking about” Or vice-versa as in this case: [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfN7uUYqsxX6sdpYtX90q2ogfVeJiS4_bmng&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfN7uUYqsxX6sdpYtX90q2ogfVeJiS4_bmng&s) ETA: While looking for that image in google, I found another word for “doohickey”: “Chirimbolo” ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/10 "2025-10-07T12:36:56Z")
Spanish speakers can sometimes understand entire phrases in ancient latin, depending on the words used. For example in Civilization V, Agustus says: “Salve. Augustus sum, imperator et pontifex Maximus romae” Which is clearly “Saludos, Augusto soy, emperador y pontifice maximo (de) Roma”. (“Hail, Augustus I am, Imperator and pontifex maximum of Rome”) And in civ VI Trajan says: “ave viator. augustae romae imperator caesar traianus sum. quis es? qua terra patria vocas?” Again in Spanish: “Ave, viajero, Augusto y Emperador (de) Roma Cesar Trajano soy, Quien eres?, Cual tierra es la patria vuestra?” (“Hail, voyager, Agustus and Emperor of Rome, Caesar Trajan I am, Who are you? What’s your homeland?”) As a Spanish speaker I had no trouble understanding those phrases because the words and grammar in those specific examples have not changed much in 2000 years. However something like Cicero’s: “Quae cum ita sint, Catilina, perge, quo coepisti, egredere aliquando ex urbe; patent portae; proficiscere. Nimium diu te imperatorem tua illa Manliana castra desiderant. Educ tecum etiam omnes tuos, si minus, quam plurimos; purga urbem. Magno me metu liberabis, dum modo inter me atque te murus intersit.” Is practically unintelligible. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/11 "2025-10-07T12:46:22Z")
Maybe because Cicero was a native Latin speaker, and the guys who wrote Civilization V aren’t? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/12 "2025-10-07T12:50:01Z")
That certainly plays a part, but I think is mostly that the Civ examples are simple introductory phrases while Cicero was famously convoluted even in his own time. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/13 "2025-10-07T13:00:23Z")
A teacher collected the bestest and interestingest answers to the questions he posed in his exams under the title “[Antología del disparate](https://www.casadellibro.com/libro-antologia-del-disparate/9788425410758/197876)” which was a great success in Spain in the '70s. I still remember this, because it was so good: Translate “Ave, Cesar, morituri te salutant” into Spanish. Answer: Las aves del César murieron por falta de salud. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/14 "2025-10-07T13:10:31Z")
😆 > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Translate “Ave, Cesar, morituri te salutant” into Spanish. > Answer: Las aves del César murieron por falta de salud. (“Caesar’s birds died for lack of health”) Yes, you have to apply a bit of discernment when “vibe translating” from Latin and beware of false friends. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/15 "2025-10-07T20:24:32Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’m English we would say a “gizmo” or a “doohickey” As a 72 yar old English chap, I’ve used ‘gizmo’ (for devices) and ‘thingummy’ (for everything else), but never ‘doohickey’… ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/16 "2025-10-07T20:48:54Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > 😆 > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > Translate “Ave, Cesar, morituri te salutant” into Spanish. > > Answer: Las aves del César murieron por falta de salud. > > (“Caesar’s birds died for lack of health”) > Yes, you have to apply a bit of discernment when “vibe translating” from Latin and beware of false friends. Speaking of false friends, oracion in Spanish and oration in English is a good example. Of course, the most laughed about false pair is embarazada / embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/17 "2025-10-07T20:54:07Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > the most laughed about false pair is embarazada / embarrassed. A similar, English-German false friend pair is pregnant/prägnant. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/18 "2025-10-07T20:56:37Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Another whatchamacallit word is chingadera. I speak just enough Spanish to get me in trouble - a LOT of it I picked up on the soccer field. My best friend’s mom was Mexican, and when I calmly asked about “that _pinche chingadera_ over there”, she was shocked. My friend thought it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/19 "2025-10-07T21:05:19Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > Of course, the most laughed about false pair is embarazada / embarrassed. Languages are hard: _embarazoso, -a_ means embarrasing, _embarazada_ (no masculine form on that one, although grammar does not forbid it) on the other hand means pregnant, which, as **Einsteinshund** rightly remarks, is not the same as _prägnant_. **[False Friends](https://dictionary.falsefriends.app/en)** can be funny. My colleagues made that page! > [@ricepad](#): > > My friend thought it was hilarious. I agree with your friend. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724/20 "2025-10-07T21:20:13Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > **[False Friends](https://dictionary.falsefriends.app/en)** can be funny. My colleagues made that page! That’s great! Any chance you and your friends setting up an English-German false friends site? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-speakers-what-is-your-word-for-prayer/1023724.md?page=2)