logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
April 27, 2021 by Nicole Canún Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

‘Rest in Peace’ in Spanish: Funeral & Cemetery Vocabulary

Learning how to say “rest in peace” in Spanish and other funeral terms is something you will find useful one day. We will inevitably encounter these situations in the future, so it’s good to be prepared. 

Death is the only thing certain in this life and talking about it from time to time is natural. This lesson on cemetery vocabulary will make your hard time a little easier and to enable you to feel less pressured in a moment of grief. 

Funeral Vocabulary

Saying “rest in peace” in Spanish is only the beginning. Being fluent on this subject also involves understanding how people in Hispanic cultures say goodbye to a loved one.

The following funeral vocabulary is about the things we do or say collectively under these  circumstances. 

SpanishEnglish
El adiósGoodbye, farewell
Las condolencias Condolences 
La despedidaFarewell ceremony, farewell
El cortejo fúnebreFuneral procession
La marcha fúnebreFuneral march
El pésameCondolences
En memoriaIn memoriam
El velorioWake

In Mexico, people have a velorio in a casa funeraria (funerary house) that lasts from 12 to 24 hours. Everyone gives their condolencias to the family. 

Knowing Respectful Ways to Offer Condolences is important in the Hispanic tradition since it is an important moment to show that you care. Sometimes saying “rest in peace” in Spanish is not enough.

rest in peace in Spanish

Mexicans are famous for having a special way of interacting with death. You can witness this at wakes where people laugh and smiles. This is because it is common to tell funny and loving stories about the departed. It makes us feel grateful for the life of the person who passed away. 

Example Sentences

Nos reuniremos para darle el último adiós a Juanita.
We will meet to say our last goodbye to Juanita.

Seré parte del cortejo fúnebre ya que yo era cercano al fallecido.
I will be part of the funeral procession since I was close to the departed.

Dale el pésame a tu amiga de mi parte.
Offer my condolences to your friend.

El chico tocará la marcha fúnebre en el órgano.
The boy will play the funeral march on the pipe organ.

El velorio de Roberto duró toda la noche.
Roberto’s wake lasted all night.

Vine a darle el pésame a todos.
I came to offer my condolences to everyone.

Rituals around Death

People have different funeral rituals according to culture, traditions, geography, and religion. 

In Hispanic countries, Catholicism is the dominant religion. Although this lesson on how to say “rest in peace” in Spanish can apply to many faiths, I included Catholic elements to it to make your experience easier. 

SpanishEnglish
La ceremoniaCeremony
La cremaciónCremation
La misaMass
El decesoDeceased, passing away
La defunciónDeceased
La difunta / el difuntoDeceased, deceased person
El entierroBurial
El fallecimientoPassing, decease
El funeral Funeral
El homenajeHomage
HonrarTo honor 
La incineraciónCremation
El ritoRite
La finada / el finadoThe deceased
El sepelioBurial
SolemneSolemn
La viuda / el viudoWidow / widower

When arriving at a wake, the first person you should offer pésames to is the viuda or viudo. 

During the velorio, a priest offers mass. Mourners recite rosary prayers throughout the wake and before and after the misa. 

Normally after the velorio, the body can be cremado (cremated) or enterrado (buried). 

Loved ones gather again the next day to say their final goodbyes to the difunto; this ritual is called el sepelio. This part is solemne. The phrase “rest in peace” in Spanish—descanse en paz—is commonly said here.

Use this guide to say sentences using this cemetery vocabulary.

Después de la ceremonia, asistiremos a la cremación. 
After the ceremony, we will attend to the cremation.

El funeral duró un día.
The funeral lasted for a day. 

La familia decidió que sería mejor un entierro.
The family of the deceased decided a burial would be better. 

El difunto fue incinerado después de la misa.
The deceased was cremated after the Mass. 

El sepelio fue muy solemne y así concluimos todo el rito de defunción. 
The burial was very solemn, and that is how we concluded the deceased’s rite. 

Para honrar la memoria del finado, quisimos hacer un homenaje. 
To honor the deceased’s memory, we wanted to do an homage. 

Key Funeral Places

Learning how to say “rest in peace” in Spanish and other funeral vocabulary might be enough in cases where you were not close to the difunto. But if you are part of the family or a close friend, you should study the following vocabulary.

SpanishEnglish
La agencia funerariaFuneral home
La capillaChapel
El cementerioCemetery
El crematorioCrematorium
La fosaGrave
La sepulturaTomb, grave
El temploTemple
La iglesiaChurch

An agencia funeraria can help you with almost every part of the funeral. 

Catholics go to the iglesia to attend a novenario. A novenario is nine masses that are held on nine consecutive days. 

La capilla estaba llena de gente.
The chapel was crowded.

La agencia funeraria me ayudó con el papeleo.
The funeral home helped me with the paperwork.

La gente se reunió en el templo en cuanto supieron la noticia.
People gathered in the temple as soon as they heard the news. 

Funeral Items and Elements

To be fluent when speaking about funerals, learn this list of articles related to them. 

SpanishEnglish
El ataúdCoffin
El cadáverCorpse
El cajónCoffin
Las cenizasAshes, remains
El coche fúnebreHearse
La criptaCrypt
La esquelaDeath notice
El féretroCoffin
La lápidaTombstone
El mausoleoMausoleum
El obituarioObituary
Los restosRemains
La tumbaTomb
UrnaUrn

Example Sentences 

Supe que había fallecido porque vi la esquela en el periódico.
I knew he had passed away because I saw the death notice in the newspaper.

Qué bonito obituario publicaron. 
What a beautiful obituary they published.

El mausoleo que busco está en frente de una lápida con flores talladas.
The mausoleum I am looking for is in front of a headstone with carved flowers.

Metieron los restos al féretro y las cenizas a la urna.
They put the remains in the coffin and the ashes in the urn. 

Me acerqué al ataúd pero no quise ver el cadáver.
I came closer to the coffin but I did not want to see the corpse.

Practice this Vocabulary!

Now that you know how to say “rest in peace” in Spanish and other terms and vocabulary, feel free to practice it with one of our native-speaking professionals. Let a friendly Homeschool Spanish Academy teacher from Guatemala tailor a Spanish package just for you—and earn high school credit while you’re at it. To join our 24,000 monthly active students, sign up for a free trial class today!

sign up for a free trial class
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

  • 10 Original and Lovely Mexican Terms of Endearment
  • Top 15 New Year’s Resolutions in Spanish
  • 100+ Basic Spanish Words and Phrases for Travelers
  • 29 Cool and Catchy Spanish Phrases To Use With Friends [+Audio]
  • 52 Spanish Connecting Words to Sound Like a Native
  • ‘How Much Is It?’ in Spanish: A Guide to Travel and Shopping
  • Ultimate Guide to 80+ Dance Vocabulary Words in Spanish
  • Ordinal Numbers in Spanish
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Nicole Canún
Nicole Canún
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Blogger, content creator, and marketer. Proudly Mexican. Been to 30 countries. I love learning from different cultures and trying their cuisines. Obsessed with Asia. Fluent in Spanish and English, not so much in French.
Nicole Canún
Latest posts by Nicole Canún (see all)
  • The Best Christmas Traditions in Mexico - December 16, 2022
  • 20 Classic Mexican Quotes and Proverbs in Spanish - November 11, 2022
  • These Were the Secret Nazi Colonies in South America - October 31, 2022
spanish vocabulary vocabulary
0

Related Posts

mission trip Spanish

45+ Mission Trip Spanish Phrases You Need To Know

December 23, 2021
Read More
Spanish quotes

44 Essential Spanish Quotes and Proverbs to Fuel Your Motivation

October 21, 2021
Read More
Spanish body parts

Spanish Body Parts: Vocabulary, Idioms, and Culture

January 4, 2022
Read More
Spanish greetings

Spanish 101: Greetings and Farewells

May 2, 2022
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Teach Spanish Months of the Year: September in SpanishPrevious Post
Teach Spanish Months of the Year: August in SpanishNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 8 Amazing Apps To Learn Spanish While Driving
    8 Amazing Apps To Learn Spanish While Driving
    January 17, 2023
    Have you ever thought of learning Spanish...
  • Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
    Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
    January 16, 2023
    Are you ready to practice your skills on the...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.