sage
/saʒ/
The English phrase "wise" is translated into French as sage.
The adjective sage describes someone showing good judgement. However, it is very commonly used to mean "well-behaved" or "quiet" when describing children.
Meaning: showing good judgement (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sage is the same for both masculine and feminine subjects. To make the adjective plural, add an -s to form sages.
How do you pronounce it?
/saʒ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the French word sage (meaning wise or well-behaved) with the English word "sage" referring to the herb. The French word for the herb is sauge.
Did you know?
- The French word sage comes from the Latin sagāx, which originally meant 'keen-scented' or 'sharp' like a hunting dog.
- The term sage-femme, which means midwife, literally translates to 'wise woman', a nod to the historical idea that women delivered babies using their wisdom.
- The word sage is a cognate of the English word 'sagacious', though the latter is far less common in daily speech than sage is in French.
Examples in context
- Tu es très sage.You're very wise.This sentence is useful for describing the person you are talking to using sage.Tatoeba #2226672 by sacredceltic, translation #2218505 by CK
- Il est très sage.He's very wise.This sentence is useful for describing a male subject using sage.Tatoeba #8642771 by Julien_PDC, translation #8478728 by CH
- Elle est très sage.She is very wise.This sentence is useful for describing a female subject using sage.Tatoeba #539462 by sacredceltic, translation #311769 by CK
- Marie est une femme sage, elle connaît bien la vie.Marie is a wise woman, she knows life well.
- Le professeur est un homme éclairé, ses analyses sont très pertinentes.The professor is a wise man, his analyses are very insightful.
- Antoine est un garçon avisé, il pèse toujours le pour et le contre avant de se décider.Antoine is a wise boy, he always weighs the pros and cons before making a decision.
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are discussing an old friend's advice.
- NathanC'est une décision sage.It is a wise decision.
- LéaTu as raison, il est très sage.You are right, he is very wise.
- NathanSes conseils sont toujours sages.His advice is always wise.
- LéaOui, il est vraiment sage.Yes, he is truly wise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wise” translations and entries sage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
