sanar

Sanar is a Spanish verb that translates as to heal, to cure, or to remedy. It describes restoring health after illness or injury, and it can also refer to resolving non-physical problems, such as emotional wounds or social rifts.

The word derives from the Latin sanare, meaning to make healthy, which in turn comes from sanus, healthy. In contemporary Spanish, sanar is a regular -ar verb.

In usage, sanar emphasizes restoration of health or wholeness rather than merely removing symptoms. It is commonly used in medical contexts with phrases like “sanar una herida” (to heal a wound) or “sanar de una enfermedad” (to recover from an illness). Metaphorically, it can describe repairing non-literal harm, as in “sanar heridas” (to heal emotional wounds), “sanar una relación” (to repair a relationship), or “sanar dudas” (to dispel doubts) and “sanar una deuda” (to settle or clear a debt). The verb curar is often used for diseases, while sanar conveys broader recovery or reconciliation.

Conjugation notes: sanar is a regular -ar verb. Present tense forms are sano, sanas, sana, sanamos, sanáis, sanan. Other tenses follow the standard -ar paradigm, e.g., sané, sanaste, sanó in the preterite, and sanar in the subjunctive.

In Brazilian Portuguese, a cognate usage exists with a similar sense of remedy or resolution, as in “sanar dúvidas,” reflecting shared Latin roots across the Romance languages.