salvia blanca
/salbja blanka/from spelling rules
The English phrase "white sage" is salvia blanca in Spanish.
salvia blanca refers to the plant species Salvia apiana.
Meaning: Salvia apiana (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of salvia (sage) and blanca (white).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because salvia is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form blanca rather than the masculine blanco.
Did you know?
- While salvia blanca describes the plant, the act of burning it for purification is often called sahumar in Spanish. This comes from the word sahumerio, which describes the ritual of cleansing a space with smoke.
- The word salvia comes from the Latin word for 'healthy' or 'to save'. In both English and Spanish, the name of this plant is an ancient reference to its perceived medicinal properties.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, salvia is used as a generic term for any aromatic herb in the sage family. A speaker might call a different species salvia even if it is not the specific salvia blanca.
Examples in context
- El uso de la salvia blanca es muy apreciado en ciertas tradiciones espirituales.The use of white sage is highly valued in certain spiritual traditions.
- La artemisa blanca es una planta nativa de América del Norte.White sage is a plant native to North America.
- Mi abuela utiliza salvia sagrada en sus rituales de limpieza.My grandmother uses white sage in her cleansing rituals.
- Me gustaría comprar salvia blanca americana para mi jardín.I would like to buy American white sage for my garden.
- Necesito comprar salvia blanca para el ritual.I need to buy white sage for the ritual.
- La salvia blanca tiene un aroma muy fuerte.White sage has a very strong aroma.
- ¿Venden salvia blanca en este mercado?Do they sell white sage in this market?
Example conversation
Sofía is looking for an herb in a local market.
- Javier¿Buscas algo en especial, Sofía?Are you looking for something in particular, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, busco un poco de salvia blanca.Yes, I am looking for some white sage.
- JavierCreo que la tienen en el puesto de allá.I think they have it at that stall over there.
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Javier.Thank you very much, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salvia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
