sana
“sana” means “healthy” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
healthy
Also: sound, whole
📝 In Action
La fruta que compraste está sana y fresca.
A2The fruit you bought is whole and fresh.
Mi abuela sigue sana a los 90 años.
A2My grandmother is still healthy at 90 years old.
Necesitas una dieta sana para tener energía.
B1You need a healthy diet to have energy.
heals, heal!
Also: cures
📝 In Action
Mi doctor dice que la herida sana lentamente.
B1My doctor says the wound is healing slowly.
¡Sana tu corazón después de la ruptura!
B1Heal your heart after the breakup!
Usted sana a mucha gente con su trabajo.
B2You (formal) heal a lot of people with your work.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sana
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'sana' as a verb (an action)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word *sānus*, meaning 'healthy' or 'sound.' The verb form 'sanar' developed later to mean 'to make healthy.'
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'sana' sometimes a description and sometimes an action?
'Sana' is a very useful word because it serves two roles. As a description (adjective), it means 'healthy' or 'sound' (feminine). As an action (verb), it is the form for 'he/she/it heals' or the informal command 'Heal!' The context of the sentence will always tell you which meaning is being used.
What is the difference between 'sana' and 'sano'?
They mean the same thing ('healthy'), but 'sana' is used for feminine things (la vida sana) and 'sano' is used for masculine things (el cuerpo sano). They are also the first-person singular forms of the verb 'sanar' (I heal), respectively, but 'sano' is the more common verb form.