French word

sauver

Pronunciation

IPA/sove/

Meaning

  • verbsave

Example

Il a sauvé l'enfant de la rivière.

He saved the child from the river.

Illustration for sauver (save)

More examples

Elle a réussi à sauver les fichiers avant la panne.

She succeeded in saving the files before the breakdown.

Core concept

Someone reaches a person in peril and brings that person to safety, or prevents a valued thing from being lost.

Common phrases

  • sauver la vie

    save someone's life

  • sauver quelqu'un

    rescue someone

  • sauver la situation

    salvage the situation

Similar words

aider: Assisting someone with a task or action to help resolve a problem.
secourir: Providing quick assistance in an accident or other dangerous situation.
protéger: Guarding a person or thing against harm or damage.

Definition in French

Mettre quelqu'un ou quelque chose à l'abri d'un péril ou d'une perte, et s'employer aussi au sens figuré pour préserver.

Word origin

Sauver is an inherited French development of Latin salvare, formed from salvus, the Latin adjective for safe.

Usage tips

  • The idiom sauver la mise means to rescue a difficult situation, while its literal words refer to saving the stake or contribution.

Opposites

Related words

  • sauvetagerescue operationnoun
  • sauveteurlifesavernoun
  • sauvérescuedadjective

Word lists with this word