Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| saggio | /ˈsad.d͡ʒo/ |
| savio | /ˈsa.vjo/ |
When you mean 'wise' or 'a sage' (a wise person or philosopher), use saggio or savio. If you are referring to the herb 'sage' (Salvia officinalis), the correct Italian word is salvia.
Which one should you use?
The word saggio can function as both an adjective meaning 'wise' and a noun meaning 'a sage'. In contrast, if you are speaking about the plant, you must use salvia instead of saggio. Both saggio and savio can be used to describe a very wise person or a philosopher.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, saggio must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes: saggia is the feminine singular form, saggi is the masculine plural and sagge is the feminine plural. The adverbial form of this word is saggiamente, which means 'wisely'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsad.dʒo/
Did you know?
- The word saggio can also refer to a recital or a public demonstration of a skill, such as a saggio di danza for a dance recital.
- In Italian, the concept of being 'wise' is linguistically linked to being 'delicious'. This is because the word savio shares an ancestor with sapido, which means 'tasty' or 'flavorful'.
- While saggio is the common modern word for 'wise', savio is often found in older literature and poetry to evoke a more timeless or archaic sense of wisdom.
Examples in context
- Lui è un saggio.He is a sage.This sentence shows how to use saggio as a noun to describe a person.Tatoeba #3782551 by Guybrush88, translation #1084499 by mookeee
- Un saggio è una persona strana.A sage is a strange person.This sentence uses saggio as a noun to describe a person.Tatoeba #13945703 by Guybrush88, translation #13942413 by rul
- Meglio essere un folle felice che un saggio infelice.Better to be a happy fool than an unhappy sage.This sentence uses saggio as a noun to contrast a sage with a fool.Tatoeba #2392009 by Guybrush88, translation #862982 by papabear
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are discussing a piece of advice they received.
- LorenzoMio nonno è un uomo molto saggio.My grandfather is a very wise man.
- GiuliaCosa ti ha consigliato di fare, Lorenzo?What did he advise you to do, Lorenzo?
- LorenzoMi ha dato un saggio suggerimento.He gave me a wise suggestion.
- GiuliaHai fatto bene ad ascoltarlo.You did the right thing by listening to him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sage” translations and entries saggio, savio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saggio, savio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
