sable
“sable” means “saber” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
saber, sabreAlso: sword
📝 In Action
El oficial desenvainó su sable durante el desfile militar.
B2The officer unsheathed his saber during the military parade.
En las clases de esgrima, aprendemos a usar el sable.
B1In fencing classes, we learn how to use the saber.
El museo tiene una colección de sables antiguos del siglo XIX.
B1The museum has a collection of ancient sabers from the 19th century.
Word Connections
saberfish, cutlassfish
📝 In Action
El pez sable tiene un cuerpo muy largo y plateado.
C1The saberfish has a very long and silvery body.
Comimos sable a la plancha en el restaurante del puerto.
C1We ate grilled cutlassfish at the harbor restaurant.
Los pescadores atraparon varios sables esta mañana.
B2The fishermen caught several saberfish this morning.
Word Connections
sable
📝 In Action
El escudo de la familia tiene un león de sable sobre fondo de oro.
C2The family crest has a black lion on a gold background.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sable
Question 1 of 3
If someone gives you a 'sablazo' in a restaurant, what happened?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
From French 'sabre', which likely originated from the Hungarian word 'szablya', meaning 'tool to cut with'.
First recorded: 17th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'sable' the same as 'espada'?
Not exactly. While both are swords, a 'sable' specifically has a curved blade designed for cutting and slashing, whereas 'espada' is a more general term for any sword.
Does 'sable' mean 'sand' like in French?
No. This is a common mistake for learners. Sand in Spanish is 'arena'. In Spanish, 'sable' refers only to the weapon, the fish, or the heraldic color.
How do you use 'sable' as a verb?
The word 'sable' itself is not a verb, but the related verb 'sablear' is used informally to describe someone mooching money from others.