Spanish word

sanear

Pronunciation

IPA/saneˈaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbpurify

Example

Tenemos que sanear el agua antes de beberla.

We have to purify the water before drinking it.

Illustration for sanear (purify)

More examples

El ayuntamiento inició un proyecto para sanear un barrio abandonado.

The city council launched a project to clean up an abandoned neighborhood.

Core concept

Water made safe and free of contaminants.

Common phrases

  • sanear un barrio

    clean up a neighborhood

  • sanear espacios públicos

    sanitize public spaces

  • sanear el suelo

    remediate the soil

Similar words

limpiar: Removes dirt and debris from surfaces to make them visibly clean.
desinfectar: Kills bacteria and viruses on objects or surfaces to make them microbiologically safe.
purificar: Removes impurities from liquids or air to increase their chemical purity.
ventilar: Brings fresh air into a room to lower pollutant levels and improve air quality.

Definition in Spanish

Hacer que algo vuelva a estar sano o seguro eliminando contaminantes o problemas.

Word origin

From Spanish sano 'healthy' plus the verb-forming suffix -ear, literally 'to make healthy' and used to restore safety by removing contaminants or problems.

Usage tips

  • Used mainly in technical or formal contexts to mean remedial purification; Spanish speakers use limpiar for routine cleaning and desinfectar to kill germs.

Other meanings

  • disinfectverb
  • cleanverb
  • clean upverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word