Trigault was born in Douai, Belgium, where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1594. He prepared himself for the missions by studying mathematics, astronomy, and geography. In 1607 he left Lisbon for Goa, India, and reached Macao by 1610. After some time in Nanking (Nanjing) for language training, he went to Peking (Beijing) to assess the state of the mission there. Appointed mission procurator to go to Rome to explain the needs to the pope and Jesuit superiors, he left Nanking in 1612 and embarked from Macao early the next year. Reaching Cochin, India, he made his way overland to Goa. He entered Rome at the end of 1614. He received papal approval for priests to recite the breviary and with covered heads to offer the sacrifice of the Mass in Chinese. He published a Latin translation of a history of Christianity in China written in Italian by Matteo Ricci.
After traveling extensively in Europe to get support for the China mission, Trigault returned to Macao in Ju1y 1619. He established a mission in K'ai-feng (Kaifeng) and in 1624 a mission in Shensi (Shaanxi) Province, where he was the first European to see the Nestorian monument of 781. Four years later he died in Hangchow (Hangzhou).