साग (saag)

noun A single-sense everyday food word: cooked leafy greens, most famously in साग (saag) as in सरसों का साग (sarson kaa saag, 'mustard greens').
Sense 1 : cooked leafy green vegetable dish
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: साग (saag) is a North Indian winter staple -- सरसों का साग (sarson kaa saag) with मक्के की रोटी (makke kii rotii, 'corn flatbread') is the classic Punjabi winter meal, and no Delhi-NCR household menu in December-January is complete without it. The word covers a whole category of dark leafy greens cooked down with spices, similar to how 'greens' works in English but with a much stronger cultural identity tied to season and region.
Common Mistakes: 1) साग (saag) refers to the cooked dish or the general category of leafy greens used for cooking, not a raw uncooked leaf lying in a salad -- learners sometimes reach for it when they mean a raw salad green, which would be सलाद (salaad) or पत्ता (pattaa) instead. 2) It is often used as a mass/collective noun covering various greens (spinach, mustard leaves, fenugreek leaves etc.) rather than naming one specific plant, so असked 'which साग (saag)?' Indians will specify: पालक का साग (paalak kaa saag, 'spinach saag'), सरसों का साग (sarson kaa saag, 'mustard greens'), मेथी का साग (methii kaa saag, 'fenugreek greens').
Sample Sentences:
सर्दियों में सरसों का साग बहुत बनता है। In winter, mustard greens are cooked a lot.
(sardiyon men sarson kaa saag bahut bantaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरी माँ ने आज साग और मक्के की रोटी बनाई। My mother made greens and corn flatbread today.
(merii maan ne aaj saag aur makke kii rotii banaaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
साग बनाओ, आज ठंड बहुत है। Make some greens, it's really cold today.
(saag banaao, aaj thand bahut hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
साग को घंटों धीमी आग पर पकाया जाता है। Greens are cooked for hours on a low flame.
(saag ko ghanton dhiimii aag par pakaayaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काश आज रात के खाने में साग होता। I wish there were greens for dinner tonight.
(kaash aaj raat ke khaane men saag hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह साग बना रही होती, तो घर में उसकी खुशबू फैल रही होती। If she were making greens, its aroma would be spreading through the house.
(agar vah saag banaa rahii hotii, to ghar men uskii khushboo phail rahii hotii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Continuous -- Voice: Active
पंजाब में सर्दियों का मशहूर व्यंजन सरसों का साग और मक्के की रोटी है। In Punjab, the famous winter dish is mustard greens with corn flatbread.
(panjaab men sardiyon kaa mashahoor vyanjan sarson kaa saag aur makke kii rotii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ रात को साग खाकर सोता है। He eats greens every night before going to sleep.
(vah roz raat ko saag khaakar sotaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें साग पसंद है या नहीं? Do you like greens or not?
(kyaa tumhen saag pasand hai yaa nahiin?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद इस बार साग में थोड़ा ज़्यादा घी डाला जाए। Maybe a bit more ghee should be added to the greens this time.
(shaayad is baar saag men thodaa zyaadaa ghii daalaa jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
अगली सर्दियों में हम खेत से ताज़ा साग लाएँगे। Next winter we will bring fresh greens from the fields.
(aglii sardiyon men ham khet se taazaa saag laaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): साग (saag)
(sg.m.oblique): साग (saag)
(pl.m.direct): साग (saag)
(pl.m.oblique): सागों (saagon)