sane and Spanish sano

SÉIN

In English

sane

mentally stable / of sound mind

In Spanish

sano

con buena salud

Spanish "sano" means: healthy

Why they get mixed up Spanish "sano" describes someone physically healthy or something healthful. English "sane" refers to mental health: being of sound mind and reasoning clearly. Physically healthy in English is "healthy."

If you want to say...

sanecuerdo
healthysano
sanitycordura

Examples

He seems perfectly sane.
Parece perfectamente cuerdo.
Staying calm kept me sane.
Mantener la calma me mantuvo cuerdo.
No sane person would drive in this storm.
Ninguna persona en su sano juicio conduciría en esta tormenta.
After the argument, she needed time to feel sane again.
Después de la discusión, necesitó tiempo para sentirse cuerda otra vez.

Common mistakes in Spanish

Incorrect: ~~Nadie sano conduciría en una tormenta así.~~

Correct: Nadie en su sano juicio conduciría en una tormenta así.

"En su sano juicio" is the fixed phrase for sane.

Incorrect: ~~Ningún hombre sano haría eso, está loco.~~

Correct: Ningún hombre cuerdo haría eso, está loco.

Sano usually means healthy. For mentally sane, use cuerdo or sensato.

Phrases you will hear

a sane personuna persona cuerda
stay sanemantener la cordura
a sane decisionuna decisión sensata
sanitycordura
healthysano (salud)
in good healthcon buena salud

In a conversation

A:
No sane person would drive in this storm.
Ninguna persona cuerda conduciría en esta tormenta.
B:
Are you sane, or just brave?
¿Eres cuerdo o solo valiente?
A:
Sane. I stay home.
Cuerdo. Me quedo en casa.
B:
Good. Stay healthy, too.
Bien. Mantente sano también.

Test yourself

"Is he sane?" asks whether someone is...

To remember it

Sane = of sound mind. Physically healthy (Spanish "sano") = healthy.

Frequently asked questions

What does Spanish "sano" mean?

Spanish "sano" means "healthy". It looks like the English "sane", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "sane" means "mentally stable / of sound mind".

Does English "sane" mean the same as Spanish "sano"?

Spanish "sano" describes someone physically healthy or something healthful. English "sane" refers to mental health: being of sound mind and reasoning clearly. Physically healthy in English is "healthy."