Latin quote · Faith

Mater Dei

“Mother of God.”

Christian title of Mary

Translation

What does “Mater Dei” mean?

Mater Dei translates as “Mother of God.”

A title of the Virgin Mary in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity.

Word by word

“Mater Dei” word by word

Latin	English	Grammar
Mater	mother	nominative singular feminine of mater, “mother”; the subject or title being named
Dei	of God	genitive singular of Deus, “god, God”; the genitive shows possession or relationship (“of God”)

Pronunciation

How to pronounce “Mater Dei”

Classical LatinMAH-ter DEH-ee

Church LatinMAH-ter DEH-ee

Both pronunciations sound essentially the same here. Stress the first syllable of both words. Dei has two syllables, DEH-ee, and is not said as a single syllable.

Origin & context

The story behind it

Word for word the phrase says “Mother of God”. It is the Latin form of the Greek title Theotokos, literally “God-bearer”, used of Mary in the early Church.

The Council of Ephesus in 431 confirmed Theotokos as a title of Mary. The point of the title was to affirm who Christ is: if Mary bore Jesus, and Jesus is God, then she can be called mother of God.

The phrase has lived on in Catholic and Orthodox devotion, in prayers such as the Hail Mary (“Sancta Maria, Mater Dei”), and in the names of churches, schools and hospitals.

When to use it

How to use “Mater Dei”

Suits Christian art, a devotional card or a religious tattoo, and works as the name of a church, school or chapel dedicated to Mary. It also fits an essay on early Church history or Marian devotion.

Latin: Mater Dei
English: Mother of God.
Source: Christian title of Mary
Era: Late Antiquity
Theme: Faith

Good to know

Common mistakes

The phrase is a title, not a full sentence. It has no verb, so it does not say “Mary is the mother of God”, only names her as such.
Do not write “Mater Deus”. After “of”, Latin needs the genitive Dei, not the nominative Deus.
The phrase belongs to Christian Latin. It is not a classical Roman expression, and the Roman “Mater Deum” (“Mother of the Gods”) was a different title, for the goddess Cybele.
Latin for “Mother of God” is sometimes mistaken for “Mother God”. The genitive Dei marks “of”, so the sense is a mother belonging to God, not a mother who is God.

FAQ

Questions about “Mater Dei”

What does “Mater Dei” mean literally?

“Mother of God”. Mater is “mother” and Dei is the genitive of Deus, “God”, so the phrase reads “mother of God”.

Who is “Mater Dei” a title of?

It is a title of the Virgin Mary in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. It is the Latin counterpart of the Greek Theotokos.

How do you pronounce “Mater Dei”?

In both Classical and Church Latin it sounds like “MAH-ter DEH-ee”, with the stress on the first syllable of each word.

Is “Mater Dei” correct Latin for a tattoo?

Yes. It is grammatical, with Dei in the genitive, and is a long-established Christian title. It is a title rather than a sentence, so it works best alone or as a caption.

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