sauge
/soʒ/
The English word 'sage' can be translated to French as sauge for the herb or sage for the adjective meaning wise.
The word sauge refers specifically to the herb (Salvia officinalis). When you want to describe someone as wise, you use the related form sage.
Meaning: wise (adj)
Which one should you use?
The spelling sauge refers to the herb, whereas the spelling sage refers to a wise person or the quality of being wise.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, sage is invariable in gender, meaning it remains the same for both masculine and feminine subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/soʒ/
Did you know?
- The French word for the wise person, sage, is also the standard word used to tell a child to be 'good' or 'well-behaved'.
- The herb sauge shares its origin with the Latin 'salvia', which is linked to the word 'salvus' meaning 'healthy' or 'safe'.
- The phrase être sage is often used ironically among adults to tell someone to 'behave themselves' during a party or an event, mimicking how one speaks to a child.
Examples in context
- Le basilic, la sauge, le romarin, le thym et l'origan sont des herbes populaires.Basil, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano are popular herbs.This sentence shows how to list sauge among other popular herbs.Tatoeba #7346591 by Micsmithel, translation #1490328 by niceguydave
- Ce conseil est vraiment judicieuxThis advice is truly wise.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sauge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sauge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
