salva
“salva” means “saves” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
saves, save
Also: is saving, protects
📝 In Action
Mi hermana siempre salva la comida que sobra.
A1My sister always saves the leftover food.
¡Salva los documentos antes de apagar la computadora!
A2Save the documents before turning off the computer!
El equipo médico salva vidas a diario.
B1The medical team saves lives daily.
salvo, volley
Also: burst, salute
📝 In Action
Al final de la obra, el público rompió en una salva de aplausos.
B2At the end of the play, the audience broke into a burst of applause.
El barco disparó una salva en honor al presidente.
C1The ship fired a salute in honor of the president.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: salva
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'salva' to refer to a collective sound?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes directly from the Latin *salvus*, meaning 'safe' or 'unharmed'. This root is shared with English words like 'salvation' and 'safe'. The noun meaning (volley/salute) comes from the idea of a test firing or a protective action.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'salva' is the verb or the noun?
Look at the words around it. If it follows 'la' or 'una' (like 'una salva de aplausos'), it's the noun meaning 'burst' or 'salute'. If it's used as an action (like 'él salva' or '¡Salva el documento!'), it's the verb 'to save'.