sal
“sal” means “salt” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
salt
Also: wit, charm
📝 In Action
La sopa necesita un poco más de sal.
A1The soup needs a little more salt.
Pásame la sal, por favor.
A1Pass me the salt, please.
Mi abuela cuenta historias con mucha sal.
B2My grandmother tells stories with a lot of wit.
leave, get out
📝 In Action
¡Sal de mi cuarto ahora mismo!
A2Get out of my room right now!
Sal con cuidado, el piso está mojado.
B1Leave carefully, the floor is wet.
Mamá, ¿puedo ir al parque? —Sí, sal, pero vuelve para la cena.
A2Mom, can I go to the park? —Yes, go out, but come back for dinner.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sal
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'sal' as a noun?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'sal' has two different origins. As 'salt,' it comes directly from the Latin word 'sal', which meant the same thing. As the command 'leave,' it comes from the Latin verb 'salire', which meant 'to jump' or 'to leap out'.
First recorded: Before the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'sal' (salt) feminine? It doesn't end in -a.
That's a great question! Spanish has many words whose gender doesn't follow the common '-o for masculine, -a for feminine' pattern. 'La sal' is one of them. Its gender comes from its Latin original, which was also feminine. The best way is to learn the word with its article: always think 'la sal'.
How do I know if 'sal' means 'salt' or 'leave'?
Context is everything! If it's used with food or cooking, it means 'salt'. If it's used as a command telling someone to do something, it means 'leave'. For example, 'Pásame la sal' (Pass me the salt) is clearly about food. '¡Sal de aquí!' (Get out of here!) is clearly a command.