3.5 Spanish Proverbs Flashcards
Learn the Spanish counterparts to over 100 of the most common proverbs.
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Beggars can’t be choosers.
A mucha hambre, no hay pan duro.
For a hunger so great, there is no bread that is too hard. A variant of this expression is Al hambre de siete dias, no hay pan duro
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An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
A diario una manzana es cosa sana.
It’s a healthy thing to have an apple daily
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Home is where the heart is.
A donde el corazón se inclina, el pie camina.
Toward wherever the heart is inclined, the foot will walk
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You have to strike while the iron is hot.
A la ocasión la pintan calva.
Opportunity is painted as being bald. This proverb refers to the Greek mythical figure, Caerus, the youngest child of Zeus, and the personification of fortune, luck, and opportunity. He was often depicted as bald, though with hair in front, the better to grab as he came toward you.
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A fool and his money are soon parted.
A los tontos no les dura el dinero.
Money doesn’t last for fools
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Every dog has its day.
A todos les llega su momento de gloria.
A moment of glory comes to everyone
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It never rains, but it pours.
Al que no quiere caldo, dos tazas.
Two cups for he who doesn’t want broth. A variant of this expression is No quieres caldo, ¡pues tomas tres tazas!
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The chickens have come home to roost.
Aquellos polvos traen estos lodos.
That dust brings this muck
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Long absent, soon forgotten.
Ausencia al más amigo presto le pone en olvido.
Absence makes even the closest friend forgotten
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Let bygones be bygones.
Borrón y cuenta nueva.
A smudge and a new account. Here, cuenta nueva takes on the meaning “a new start”
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To err is human, to forgive divine.
Consejo es de sabios perdonar injurias y olvidar agravios.
It is the advice of wise men to forgive insults and to forget offenses
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We’re all a little crazy in one way or another.
De cuerdo y loco todos tenemos un poco.
We all have a little sanity and little craziness
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You can judge a man by the company he keeps.
Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres.
Tell me whom you go with, and I’ll tell you who you are
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Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Donde hay humo, hay calor.
Where there’s smoke, there’s heat
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Poverty breeds discontent.
Donde no hay harina, todo es mohína.
It’s all sad where there’s no oatmeal. Note the atypical accent mark in mohína, meaning “the dumps” or “the sulks”, which is used to rhyme with harina, or “oatmeal”
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Nothing succeeds like success.
El éxito llama al éxito.
Success attracts success
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
El mejor halago es que lo imiten a uno.
The best praise is for one to be imitated
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Actions speak louder than words.
El movimiento se demuestra andando.
Movement is demonstrated in action
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You’ve made bed, and now you’ll have to lie in it.
El que la hace la paga.
Whoever does it pays for it
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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
El que la sigue la consigue.
Whoever chases it gets it
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The early bird catches the worm.
El que madruga coge la oruga.
(The bird) who rises early catches the caterpillar. In the Spanish proverb, el que is referring to el pájaro.
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April showers bring May flowers.
A abril con sus chaparrones, sigue mayo con sus flores.
After April with its downpours, comes May with its flowers
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Better late than never.
Más vale tarde que nunca.
Late is worth more than never
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Better safe than sorry.
Más vale prevenir que lamentar.
It’s worth more to prevent than to regret
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando.
A bird in the hand is worth more than one hundred flying. A variant of this expression is Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando
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Birds of a feather flock together.
Dios los cría y ellos se juntan.
God raises them, and then they unite
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Curiosity killed the cat.
La curiosidad mató al gato.
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The devil is in the detail.
El diablo está en los detalles.
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Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Traten a los demás tal y como quieren que ellos los traten a ustedes.
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There’s no use crying over spilt milk.
De nada vale llorar sobre la leche derramada.
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Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Las apariencias engañan.
Appearances are misleading. A variant of this expression is El hábito no hace al monje.
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The apple does not fall far from the tree.
El fruto no cae lejos del árbol.
Note that “fruit” is usually feminine, fruta, but it can also be masculine el fruto, in which case it means “product” or “result”
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Better to be alone than in bad company.
Más vale andarse soltero que con mal compañero.
It’s better to go alone than to be with bad company
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The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Al freir de los huevos lo verá.
You’ll see it once you fry the eggs
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Everybody to whom much is given, much is expected.
Al que mucho se le confía, mucho se le exige.
To whom much is entrusted, much is asked
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Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.
God helps those who rise early
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Daub yourself with honey, and you will never lack flies.
A quien se hace de miel las moscas le comen.
Whoever makes himself of honey is eaten by flies
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When there’s a will, there’s a way.
Más hace el que quiere que el que puede.
He who wants more does more than he who can
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Let sleeping dogs lie.
Mejor es no menearlo.
It’s better not to shake it up. A variant of this expression is Mejor no revolver el asunto
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All talk and no action.
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces.
A lot of noise for a few nuts
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Misfortunes always come in threes.
No hay dos sin tres.
There’s no two without three
