Common Proverbs & Sayings in Spanish
Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres.
Translation: Tell me who you hang out wth and I'll tell you who you are.
Meaning / English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together.
Caballo regalado no se le mira el diente.
Translation: Don't look for faults in a gift.
Meaning / English equivalent: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Al mal tiempo, buena cara.
Translation: Put a good face to the bad times.
Meaning / English equivalent: Be positive even in bad situations.
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas.
Translation: If there's no pan, cakes will do.
Meaning / English equivalent: Beggars can't be choosers.
Barriga llena, corazón contento.
Translation: Full stomach, happy heart.
Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente.
Translation: The shrimp that falls asleep is swept away by the current.
Meaning / English equivalent: You snooze, you lose.
Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos.
Translation: Raise crows and they will peck your eyes out.
Meaning / English equivalent: If you take care of indecent people, they will take advantage of you in the end.
Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.
Translation: When the river makes noise, it's carrying water.
Meaning / English equivalent: Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Del tal palo, tal astilla.
Translation: Such is the stick, such is the chip.
Meaning / English equivalent: A chip off the old block
Meaning / English equivalent: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Meaning / English equivalent: Like father, like son.
El que madruga coge agua clara.
Translation: He who rises early gets clear water.
Meaning / English equivalent: Early bird gets the worm.
El que quiera pescado que se moje el culo.
Translation: He who wants fish should get his butt wet.
Meaning / English equivalent. If you want something, get it yourself.
Hablando del rey de Roma...
Translation: Speaking of the king of Rome...
Meaning / English equivalent: Speak of the Devil...
Más vale tarde que nunca.
Translation: Better late than never.
Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando.
Translation: A bird in the hand is worth more than one hundred flying.
Meaning / English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Moro viejo nunca será buen cristiano.
Translation: An old Moor will never be a good Christian.
Meaning / English equivalen: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
No hay mal que por bien no venga.
Translation: There's no bad from which something good doesn't come.
Meaning / English equivalent: Every cloud has a silver lining.
Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente.
Translation: Eyes that don't see, heart that doesn't feel.
Meaning / English equivalent: Out of sight, out of mind.
Quien fue a Sevilla perdió su silla.
Translation: He who went to Sevilla, lost his seat.
Meaning / English equivalent: Move your feet, lose your seat.
Vivieron felices y comieron perdices (y a mí no me dieron).
Translation: They lived happily and ate partridge (and didn't give me any).
Meaning / English equivalent: And they lived happily ever after.
Other popular Spanish Sayings
- A la fuerza ahorcan
- De noche todos los gatos son pardos
- Lo bueno, si es breve, dos veces bueno
- "Ya que la casa se quema, calentémonos en ella"
- "The house of the soap-maker is a slippery place"
- "Santo era Pedro y negó a su maestro"
- "Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada"
- "En Carnaval todo pasa, hasta los novios a las casas"