Sanar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb sanar means to heal — it also means to cure, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sanar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of sanar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo sano la herida — "I heal the wound" — and in the preterite you say Yo sané poco a poco — "I healed little by little". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: sanar
- English: to heal, to cure
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: sanando
- Past participle: sanado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sanado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sanar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sanar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: sanando · Past participle: sanado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sano |
| tú | sanas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sana |
| nosotros/as | sanamos |
| vosotros/as | sanáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sané |
| tú | sanaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | sanó |
| nosotros/as | sanamos |
| vosotros/as | sanasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sanaba |
| tú | sanabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sanaba |
| nosotros/as | sanábamos |
| vosotros/as | sanabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sanaré |
| tú | sanarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | sanará |
| nosotros/as | sanaremos |
| vosotros/as | sanaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sanaría |
| tú | sanarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sanaría |
| nosotros/as | sanaríamos |
| vosotros/as | sanaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he sanado |
| tú | has sanado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha sanado |
| nosotros/as | hemos sanado |
| vosotros/as | habéis sanado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han sanado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había sanado |
| tú | habías sanado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había sanado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos sanado |
| vosotros/as | habíais sanado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían sanado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré sanado |
| tú | habrás sanado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá sanado |
| nosotros/as | habremos sanado |
| vosotros/as | habréis sanado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán sanado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría sanado |
| tú | habrías sanado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría sanado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos sanado |
| vosotros/as | habríais sanado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían sanado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sane |
| tú | sanes |
| él/ella/Ud. | sane |
| nosotros/as | sanemos |
| vosotros/as | sanéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sanara |
| tú | sanaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | sanara |
| nosotros/as | sanáramos |
| vosotros/as | sanarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sana |
| él/ella/Ud. | sane |
| nosotros/as | sanemos |
| vosotros/as | sanad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sanes |
| él/ella/Ud. | sane |
| nosotros/as | sanemos |
| vosotros/as | sanéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sanen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | sanando | with estar for the progressive: estoy sanando |
| Past participle | sanado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he sanado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For sanar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sano poco a poco — "I heal little by little". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For sanar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sané con descanso — "I healed with rest". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For sanar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sanaba la herida — "I used to heal the wound". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For sanar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sanaré poco a poco — "I will heal little by little". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For sanar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sanaría con descanso — "I would heal with rest". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For sanar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he sanado la herida — "I have healed the wound". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For sanar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había sanado poco a poco — "I had healed little by little". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For sanar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré sanado con descanso — "I will have healed with rest". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For sanar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría sanado la herida — "I would have healed the wound". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For sanar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él sane poco a poco — "I hope he heals little by little". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For sanar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo sanara con descanso, todo cambiaría — "If I healed with rest, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For sanar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Sane la herida — "Let him heal the wound". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For sanar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No sanes poco a poco — "Don't heal little by little". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with sanar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo sano con descanso — "I heal with rest"
- Él sana la herida — "He heals the wound"
- Yo sané poco a poco — "I healed little by little"
- Yo sanaba con descanso — "I used to heal with rest"
- Tú sanarás la herida — "You will heal the wound"
- Yo sanaría poco a poco — "I would heal little by little"
- Él ha sanado con descanso — "He has healed with rest"
- Espero que él sane la herida — "I hope he heals the wound"
- Yo había sanado poco a poco — "I had healed little by little"
- Ellos sanaban con descanso — "They used to heal with rest"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos sana la herida — Right: Ellos sanan la herida — Ellos needs the ellos form sanan. The singular sana belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo sano — Right: Ayer, yo sané — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sané.
- Wrong: De niño, yo sané todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo sanaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sanaba), not the preterite. The preterite (sané) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy sanado poco a poco. — Right: Yo he sanado poco a poco. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sanado, has sanado, ha sanado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él sana la herida. — Right: Espero que él sane la herida. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: sane. The indicative sana is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sanar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la herida. (present tense) A. habría sanado B. habíais sanado C. sano D. has sanado
Complete the sentence: Él ___ la herida. (preterite) A. sanaran B. has sanado C. sanaste D. sanó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la herida. (imperfect) A. ha sanado B. sané C. sanábamos D. sanas
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la herida. (future) A. sanarían B. sanarás C. sanaran D. habrías sanado
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la herida. (conditional) A. sanáis B. sanabais C. sanaría D. habíamos sanado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la herida. (present subjunctive) A. sanaría B. sanabas C. sané D. sane
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la herida, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. habéis sanado B. sanarán C. habríamos sanado D. sanara
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la herida. (present perfect) A. habían sanado B. sanéis C. hemos sanado D. sanan
Complete the command: No ___ la herida. (negative imperative, tú) A. sanéis B. sanemos C. sanes D. sane
Which is the gerund of sanar, used with estar for the progressive? A. sanaré B. sanando C. sano D. sanado
Answer key
- sano — The yo present tense of sanar is sano.
- sanó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of sanar is sanó.
- sanábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of sanar is sanábamos.
- sanarás — The tú future of sanar is sanarás.
- sanaría — The yo conditional of sanar is sanaría.
- sane — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of sanar is sane.
- sanara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of sanar is sanara.
- hemos sanado — The nosotros/as present perfect of sanar is hemos sanado.
- sanes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: sanes.
- sanando — The gerund of sanar is sanando: estoy sanando. The participle sanado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does sanar mean in English?
Sanar means to heal, to cure. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo sano la herida. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is sanar regular?
Yes. Sanar is a regular -ar verb: sano, sanas, sana. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of sanar?
The gerund is sanando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sanando. The past participle is sanado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sanado.
How do I say “I heal” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo sané poco a poco. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo sanaba con descanso. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he sanado la herida.
How do I practise sanar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the sanar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Sanar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for sanar.
- Sanar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for sanar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Secar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sanar.
- Seleccionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sanar.
- Sembrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sanar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.