man looking out the apartment window at a big city

20 Inspiring Spanish Proverbs About Life, Love and Everything in Between

If you ever plan to talk to native Spanish speakers, knowing Spanish sayings is a must.

Not just so you can impress your friends with your fluency, but also so you’ll understand when you hear them in Spanish media and conversations.

Today we’ll look at 20 famous (and sometimes funny!) Spanish proverbs (proverbios), and compare them with their closest English counterparts.

Contents

Thought-provoking Spanish Proverbs

1. Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando

Image by Hans from Pixabay

Meaning: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Literal translation: A bird in hand is worth more than a hundred in flight

This Spanish phrase means what you already have is more valuable than what you don’t.

You can use this phrase when you realize that what you have now is of greater importance than something you may be considering.

2. Cuando el gato va a sus devociones, bailan los ratones

Meaning: When the cat’s away, the mice will play

Literal translation: When the cat goes to his devotions, the rats dance

You might pull out this phrase when you notice someone doing something you know they’d never do in the presence of an authority figure, such as an unattended child diving headfirst into a chocolate cake.

3. Del dicho al hecho hay un buen trecho

Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

Meaning: Talk is cheap

Literal translation: From speech to deed there is a good stretch

A reference to the time-wasters in life, this phrase is a way to say that someone “talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.”

Or if someone makes a lot of promises but has a track record of not fulfilling them.

4. El hábito no hace al monje

Meaning: Don’t judge a book by its cover

Literal translation: The habit does not make the monk

This phrase is the same as “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in Spanish, it’s literally “the habit does not make the monk.” It’s excellent to use when a person, place or thing is worthy of being judged by its substance instead of its outward beauty (or lack thereof)

5. De tal palo, tal astilla

Image by Karsten Paulick from Pixabay

Meaning: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Literal translation: From such a branch, such a twig

Yes, these branch-centric proverbs mean essentially the same thing—if one person or thing comes from the other, they’re bound to be similar in some ways.

This phrase is mostly fit for pointing out familial similarities (appearance or otherwise), like if someone bears a striking resemblance to their mother.

6. Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma

Meaning: Speak of the devil and he shall appear

Literal translation: Speaking of the king of Rome, he’s appearing at the door

In English, if you say “speak of the devil” when you see someone, it simply means: Hey, we were talking about you!

But in Spanish, this phrase describes that uncomfortable moment when someone you’re speaking ill of suddenly appears.

7. Echar margaritas a los cerdos / Arrojar perlas a los cerdos

cute pig with wearing a pearl necklace

Meaning: Cast your pearls before swine

Literal translation: Give daisies to the hogs. / Cast pearls to the hogs

This is a good proverb for when people don’t appreciate you or your efforts.

Spanish versions of the Holy Bible use the proverb “arrojar perlas a los cerdos” or “cast pearls to the hogs.”

“Echar margaritas a los cerdos” translates to “give daisies to the hogs,” and it’s commonly used to express the same sentiment as the biblical phrase.

8. No es tan bravo el león como lo pintan

Meaning: His bark is worse than his bite

Literal translation: The lion is not as fierce as he is made out to be

Just like in English, this proverb implies that a person who seems fierce might not be so tough.

Or, you could apply this to a situation—like your friend losing their keys, maybe—to say that things aren’t as serious as they seem.

9. El que no llora, no mama

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Meaning: The squeaky wheel gets the grease

Literal translation: The one that does not cry, does not get mom

In other words, the baby who doesn’t cry doesn’t get nursed.

You’d apply this proverb to a situation where you need to speak up about something to get what you need.

Maybe your office is too hot, but you never mention it to anyone. Your coworker, however, complains about the heat every day. Eventually, the boss gives your coworker a new fan, not you. Speak up!

10. A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores

Meaning: There’s good fishing in troubled waters

Literal translation: At troubled waters, fishermen gain

This proverb implies that there’s always someone waiting to profit from the disadvantages of others.

It’s interesting that the word revuelto also means scrambled and disorganized. Throughout Latin American history, cultural chaos has triggered dictatorships. Thus, the “fishermen” gain power from disorder.

11. A las mujeres bonitas y a los buenos caballos los echan a perder los pendejos

woman riding a white horse in water

Meaning: Women and horses are wasted on idiots

Literal translation: Beautiful women and good horses are corrupted by idiots

This one comes from Mexico, a country with several proverbs about women and horses. This saying reminds us that bad people often misuse good people and good resources.

12. Lavar puercos con jabón es perder tiempo y jabón

Meaning: Some things are a waste of time

Literal translation: To wash a pig with soap is to lose time and soap

Like the English version, this popular Spanish proverb means that some things waste time.

A similar English quote comes from George Bernard Shaw: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.”

You can pull out this phrase the next time someone suggests a task that is ultimately meaningless.

13. El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho

man lying on the beach reading a book

Meaning: Reading and traveling is knowledge

Literal translation: He who reads a lot and walks a lot, sees a lot and knows a lot

The proverb encourages travel and scholarship. The more you walk, the more you’ll see, and the more you read, the more you’ll know.

14. ¿Qué locura o qué desatino me lleva a contar las ajenas faltas, teniendo tanto que decir de las mías?

Meaning: People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones

Literal translation: What madness or folly leads me to count the faults of others, having so much to say about mine?

This saying asks us to consider how quickly we judge others for their faults without looking at ourselves.

Miguel de Cervantes uses this proverb in El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha” (Don Quixote).

15. La senda de la virtud es muy estrecha y el camino del vicio, ancho y espacioso

rock path in between green bushes in the forest

Meaning: The good path is small while the self-indulgent one is wide

Literal translation: The path of virtue is very narrow and the road of vice broad and spacious

The virtuous road is small and the road of vice is not. It’s much easier to follow the path of indulgence and vice than to have excellent morals.

16. A caballo regalado, no se le miran los dientes

Meaning: Never look a gift horse in the mouth

Literal translation: Don’t look at the teeth of a gift horse

By looking at a horse’s teeth, you can estimate its age. If you received a horse as a gift, opening its mouth and checking its age would be incredibly rude.

So this phrase means you should accept a gift or good luck without criticizing, looking for faults or judging how much it cost.

17. Como agua para chocolate

silver pot of boiling water on a stove

Meaning: Boiling mad

Literal translation: Like water for chocolate

In certain Latin American countries—especially Mexico—hot chocolate is made with water (instead of milk).

Because water for chocolate is boiling, the phrase describes an emotional state when you’re boiling over in anger or (sometimes) in passion.

18. Las cuentas claras y el chocolate espeso

Meaning: Short reckonings make long friends

Literal translation: The accounts clear and the chocolate thick

In English, you want to return what you’ve borrowed (“clear your accounts”) quickly to maintain good relationships.

In the Spanish phrase, you want to keep your money matters clear and your chocolate drink thick and frothy. Think of it like meaning you don’t want murky business relations, just like you wouldn’t want watered-down chocolate.

19. Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena

circular clock on a blank white wall

Meaning: Better late than never

Literal translation: It is never late if happiness is good

You can often substitute the Spanish phrase here for “better late than never,” but a slightly more accurate translation would be “a happy outcome is worth waiting for.”

Imagine you and a friend aren’t on speaking terms, but it’s been so long that you’ve forgotten the problem! Use this proverb to remind yourself that setting things right is never too late.

20. Donde hay gana, hay maña

Meaning: Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Literal translation: Where there is desire, there is ability

If you really want to do something, you’ll do it. It doesn’t matter how difficult the task is.

What Are Proverbs?

Proverbs exist in every language. They’re short phrases that mean something (usually) profound or inspiring, but if translated literally, they can often be confusing or not seem to make sense.

Some proverbs are only found in literature, but others are used by native speakers in daily life.

For example, here are a few proverbs English speakers use quite often:

“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

“Not all that glitters is gold.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.”

How Can Proverbs Help You Learn Spanish?

  • Gain deeper insight into how Spanish works. Proverbs are often written differently than other Spanish phrases, which might take you by surprise when you hear them thrown in conversations or literature. By learning them, you’ll be prepared for lots of different structures.
  • Understand proverbs and cultural references in Spanish media. Like slang, proverbs appear throughout a country’s media and literature, and knowing them will help you understand these references. A good way to hear proverbs (and learn them at the same time) is by using an immersion program like FluentU, which lets you learn Spanish in context through short videos.

    FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

    You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

    P.S. If you decide to sign up by November 28th, you'll receive a 60% discount with our Black Friday sale!

      FluentU Ad

  • Deepen your knowledge about Spanish-speaking cultures. Proverbs teach you how different cultures view certain issues differently, which lets you better understand the cultures of each Spanish-speaking country.
  • Fit in with the native speakers. It’s no secret that each country has different slang, customs, idioms and more. Knowing proverbs will help you blend in with (and impress!) native speakers just as much as using slang.

 

These proverbs can help you better express yourself in Spanish-speaking communities.

After all, many native Spanish speakers have been using these phrases for their entire lives!

And you know what they say: When in Rome…

And One More Thing…

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

learn-spanish-with-videos

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

learn-spanish-with-interactive-subtitled-videos

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.

learn-spanish-with-songs

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

learn-spanish-with-music-videos

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Sign up by November 28th to receive a 60% discount with our Black Friday sale!

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

Close