sanar
verbCEFR B2
What does “sanar” mean in English?
to heal, to recover
to heal, to recover (sanar una herida / sanar de — restore to health; of wounds, injuries, or trauma)
Example sentences
El médico aseguró que con el tratamiento adecuado la herida sanaría por completo en menos de dos semanas.
The doctor assured that with appropriate treatment the wound would heal completely in under two weeks.
Dicen que el tiempo sana todas las heridas, pero algunas tardan años en cicatrizar del todo.
They say time heals all wounds, but some take years to close completely.
Ella necesitaba tiempo y espacio para sanar de una relación que la había dejado profundamente marcada.
She needed time and space to heal from a relationship that had left a deep mark on her.
How to use it
Sanar means 'to heal' or 'to recover'. It can be intransitive (la herida sanó — the wound healed) or transitive (el tiempo sana las heridas — time heals wounds). At B2, both physical and emotional healing are important: sanar una herida (heal a wound), sanar el dolor emocional (heal emotional pain). The related noun is la sanación (healing). Don't confuse with curar (cure/treat — implies medical intervention) or recuperarse (recover — from illness or setback, broader).
Common mistake
Sanar (heal — natural process) vs. curar (cure/treat — active medical intervention). 'El médico curó al paciente' (the doctor treated/cured the patient — active). 'La herida sanó' (the wound healed — natural process). Sanar can also be used reflexively in some Latin American varieties: 'se sanó solo'.