sana
/SAH-nah/
healthy
A person who is physically well is "sana" (healthy).
sana(Adjective)
healthy
?physically well
sound
?mentally or morally correct
,whole
?undamaged or intact
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Feminine Form
As an adjective, 'sana' is the feminine form. Always make sure the ending matches the thing you are describing: 'una persona sana' (a healthy person), but 'un cuerpo sano' (a healthy body).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong gender
Mistake: "El agua está sana. (Water is healthy.)"
Correction: El agua está sana. (This is a trick! Even though 'agua' starts with 'a,' it is a masculine noun, but you still use 'sana' because of the way the words flow together, but generally, use 'sano' for masculine words.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Feeling Well
Use 'estar sana' (to be healthy/well right now) when talking about temporary health, like recovery from an illness: 'Ya estoy sana.' (I'm healthy now.)
When a wound mends, it "sana" (heals).
sana(Verb)
heals
?he/she/it heals (present tense)
,heal!
?informal command (tú)
cures
?3rd person singular
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Two Uses of 'Sana'
The form 'sana' is used in two ways: 1) To say that 'he/she/it' or 'you (formal)' is doing the healing (present tense), or 2) To give an informal command to a friend: '¡Sana!' (Heal!).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing the command
Mistake: "No sana la herida. (Don't heal the wound.)"
Correction: No sanes la herida. (When giving a negative command to a friend, the verb form changes. Use 'sanes,' not 'sana'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Result
'Sanar' often focuses on the process of becoming healthy or whole again, rather than just treating symptoms.
🔄 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
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.