Spanish Proverbs: Proverbs From All Spanish-Speaking Parts of The Whole World

Spanish proverbs
Proverbs from all Spanish-speaking parts of the whole world.
Contents
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J He who wants the heavens must pay.
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
T
U
V
The heart sees farther than the head.
Z
See also
External Links
A
A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente/colmillo/dentado/pelo or A caballo regalado no le mires los dientes.
English equivalent: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Do not search for faults in a gift, as in don't try to guess the horse's age by looking at its teeth since it is
free."
Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 54. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
Luna, Cari (2004). The Everything Spanish Phrase Book: A Quick Reference for Any Situation
publisher=Everything Books. p. 5. ISBN 275 1593370490.
A cabo de cien años los reyes son villanos, A cabo de ciento-diez los villanos son reyes.
English equivalent: Every dog has his day.
Mawr, E.B. (1885). Analogous Proverbs in Ten Languages (http://editura.mttlc.ro/carti/mawr-analogous-prover
bs.pdf). p. 22.
A cada necio agrada su porrada.
English equivalentː Every fool is pleased with his own folly.

Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "147" (http://books.google.com/books?id=86yPOGG3YfcC&pg=PT411). Dictionary
of European Proverbs. I. Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-134-86460-7.
A cada pajarillo agrada su nidillo.
English equivalent: The bird loves her own nest.

"Deprive economics of the concept of welfare and what do you have? Nothing."
Colin Clark, Conditions of Economic Progress (1940)
of European Proverbs. II. Routledge. p. 776. ISBN 978-1-134-86460-7.
A canas honradas no hay puertas cerradas.
English equivalent: Grey hairs are honorable.

bs.pdf). p. 35.
A grandes males, grandes remedios.
English equivalent: Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.

Meaning: "Drastic action is called for – and justified – when you find yourself in a particularly difficult
situation."
Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC&pg=PA53). Infobase Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-
8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 10 August 2013.
Emanuel Strauss (11 January 2013). "812" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT552).
Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 552. ISBN 978-1-136-78978-6. Retrieved on 10
August 2013.
A la ocasión la pintan calva.
English equivalent: Opportunity knocks only once.

"Never say ‘no’ to adventures. Always say ‘yes’, otherwise you’ll lead a very dull life."
Ian Fleming, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang (1964)
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 400. ISBN
0415096243.
A la tercera va la vencida.
English equivalent: Third time's the charm.

0415096243.
A lo hecho, pecho.
English equivalent: What's done is done. Trim your sails and face the music. Don't cry over spilled milk.
A mal nudo, mal cuño.
English equivalent: You must meet roughness with roughness.

Strauss, Emanuel (1998). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs (Abbreviated ed.). Routledge. p. 12.
ISBN 0415160502.
‘’A quien dan, no escoge.’’
English equivalent: Beggars can’t be choosers.

“We must accept with gratitude and without complaint what we are given when we do not have the means or
opportunity to provide ourselves with something better.”
Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQ
c8NbTYC&pg=PA19). Infobase Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
bs.pdf). p. 16.
A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.
Alt: Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda.

Alt Variation: Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda; el que se apendeja Dios lo deja. (A play with words that rhyme)
Translations:
God helps those who get up early. / The early bird gets the worm.
Alt.Var:God helps those who get up early, and leaves those who are too late.
Interpretations:
Initiative will be rewarded.

Equivalent English proverbs:
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Meaning: "A lifestyle that involves neither staying up late nor sleeping late is good for body and mind and
leads to financial success."
8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 5 September 2013.
Source: Luna, Cari (2004). The Everything Spanish Phrase Book: A Quick Reference for Any Situation.
Everything Books. p. 5. ISBN 275 1593370490.
A quien no pide consejo, darlo es de necios.
English equivalent: Give neither salt nor counsel till you are asked for it.
0415096243.
A quien se hace de miel las moscas le comen.
English equivalent: He that makes himself an ass must not take it ill if men ride him.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 676. ISBN
0415096243.
A seguro, le llevan preso.
For safety you are taken prisoner.

0415096243.
A donde el seto es bajo todos pasan.
English equivalent: Men leap over where the hedge is lower.

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Al amigo más amigo, no le fíes tu secreto, y así nunca te verás, arrepentido o sujeto.
If you tell your secret to your friend, you will make him your master.
Ward, Caroline (1842). National proverbs in the principal languages of Europe. J.W. Parker. p. 74.
Al árbol por el fruto es conocido.
English equivalent: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
"Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents."
Al cuco no cuques y al ladrón no hurtes.
ISBN 0415160502.
Al fin es debido el honor.
English equivalent: All is well that ends well.

"Problems and misfortunes along the way can be forgotten as long as the end is satisfactory."
bs.pdf). p. 7.
Al freir de los huevos lo verá.
English equivalent: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

bs.pdf). p. 77.
Al hombre osado la fortuna le da la mano.
English equivalent: Fortune favours the bold.

Meaning: "Those who act boldly or courageously are most likely to succeed."
Source for meaning: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (http://books.google.c
om/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC&pg=PA94). Infobase Publishing. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
0415096243.
Al médico, confesor, y letrado, no le hayas engañado.
English equivalent: Conceal not the truth from thy physician and lawyer.
0415096243.
Al mentiroso le conviene ser memorioso.
English equivalent: A liar should have a good memory.

Meaning: "Liars must remember the untruths they have told, to avoid contradicting themselves at some later
date."
8160-6673-5.
of European Proverbs. I. Routledge. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-134-86460-7. Retrieved on 24 November 2013.
Al ratón de un sólo agujero presto le pilla el gato.
English equivalent: It is a poor mouse that has only one hole.

"Why don’t we just call plans what they really are: guesses."
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier, Rework (2009)
0415096243.
Al que mucho se le confía, mucho se le exige.
English equivalent: Everybody to whom much is given, much is expected.

Meaning: "More is expected of those who have received more - that is, those who had good fortune, are
naturally gifted, or have been shown special favour."
Source for meaning and proverbs: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (http://b
ooks.google.com/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC). Infobase Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
0415096243.
Amores, dolores y dineros, No pueden estar secretos.
English equivalent: Love, smoke and cough are hard to hide.

Kelly, Walter Keating (1859). Proverbs of all nations. W. Kent & co. (late D. Bogue). p. 50.
Antes de criticar pon la mano en tu mecho.
English equivalent: Everyone should sweep before his own door.

bs.pdf). p. 28.
Antes de firmar, mirar.
Translation: Look before you sign.

0415096243.
Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces.
0415096243.
Árbol que nace torcido, jamás su tronco endereza

Alt: "Árbol que nace torcido, aunque le pongan cien piedras, nunca se endereza."
A tree that is born twisted never grows straight.
Alt: A tree that is born twisted, though a hundred stones are placed (around it), never can be straightened.
Source: Glazer, Mark (1987). A Dictionary of Mexican American Proverbs. Greenwood Publishing Group.
p. 275. ISBN 0313253854.
A lo bueno, dejarlo estar.'
English equivalent: If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

ISBN 0415160502.
A papaya puesta, papaya partida. (Colombian saying)
Alt: No hay que dar papaya...y a papaya puesta, papaya partida

Papaya that is served, papaya that is eaten
English equivalent: If you turn yourself into a doormat, others will walk over you.
Interpretation: If you leave yourself open to abuse, people will abuse you.
Source: Munévar, Gonzalo (2006). El amo del destino. Universidad del Valle. p. 208. ISBN 9584400207.
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas.
Alt: A falta de pan, galletas

Alt: A falta de pan, tortillas (Mexico, Guatemala)
Alt: A falta de pan, casabe (República Dominicana)
Translations:
If there's no bread, cakes will do.

In place of bread, cakes are good.
Alt. Trans.: If there's no bread, have crackers
Interpretations:
Settle for the next best thing.
Beggars can't be choosers.
In times of need, kindness is especially sweet.
Equivalent English proverb: Any port in a storm.
Source: Klipper, Maya (2006). A falta de pan, buenas son tortas. La Stampa. ISBN 987051362X.
A donde fueres, haz lo que vieres
Alt: Allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres

English proverb: When among wolves we must howl.
Strauss, Emmanuel (1994). Dictionary of European Proverbs, Volym 1. Routledge. p. 673. ISBN
0415096243.
Antes con locos, que cuerdo a solas.
English equivalent: Better foolish by all than wise by yourself.

Emanuel Strauss. "70" (https://books.google.se/books?id=RzctBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA22&dq=Better+be+foolish+
with+all+than+wise+by+yourself+european+proverbs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAWoVChMI8qOljOzIx
wIVgwgsCh3NsQBE#v=onepage&q=Better%20be%20foolish%20with%20all%20than%20wise%20by%20yo
urself%20european%20proverbs&f=false). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs.
Agua blanda en piedra dura, tanto cavadura continua gotera cava la piedra.
English equivalent: Constant dropping wears the stone.

"A steady effort can achieve, little by little, a great effect, as many drops do by gradually dissolving and
eroding the stone."
Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "71" (http://books.google.com/books?id=JiXzAAAAMAAJ). European proverbs: in 55
languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 349.
ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
ISBN 0415160502.
Apretados pero contentos.
English equivalent: The more the merrier.

0415096243.
Aprovecha el día presente.
0415096243.
Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda.
English equivalent: A golden bit does not make the horse any better.
"To those who are given to virtue, the boast of titles is wholly alien and distasteful."
Petrarch, “On the Various Academic Titles,” De remediis utriusque fortunae, C. Rawski, trans. (1967), p. 73
ISBN 0415160502.
Al que Dios quiere castigar le quita la razón.
English equivalent: Whom God will destroy, he first make mad.

0415096243.
Alcalda del mes de enero.
New is of the month of January

English equivalent: New brooms sweep clean.
"We often apply it to exchanges among servants, clerks, or any persons employed, whose service, at first, in
any new place, is very good, both efficient and faithful; but very soon, when all the new circumstances have
lost their novelty, and all their curiosity has ceased, they naturally fall into their former and habitual
slackness."
Porter, William Henry (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical Order ... (http://books.google.com/books?id
=KA4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA38). Munroe and Company. p. 38.
0415096243.
A todo cerdo le llega su San Martín.
Manuel Gómez de Valenzuela (1 January 1980). La vida cotidiana en Aragón durante la Alta Edad Media (htt
p://books.google.com/books?id=CUAwAAAAMAAJ). Librería General. p. 182.
Aquél es rico, que está bien con Dios.
English equivalent: He who serves God has a good master.

"The greatest weakness of all weaknesses is to fear too much to appear weak."
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, Politique Tirée de l'Écriture Sainte (Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy
Scripture) (1679 - published 1709).
0415096243.
Aquél va más sano, que anda por el llano.
0415096243.
Ara bien y hondo, cogerás pan en abando.
English equivalent: Plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you will have corn to sell and keep.
0415096243.
B
Bien predica quien bien vive.
English equivalent: Lead by example.

ISBN 0415160502.
C
Callen barbas y hablen cartas.
0415096243.
Cada carnero de su pie cuelga.
English equivalent: Every bird must hatch its own eggs.

Meaning: We must depend on ourselves, financially and in other regards.
0415096243.
Cada cosa en su tiempo.
English equivalent: Man proposes, God disposes.

"Plans are insulted destinies. I don't have plans, I only have goals."
Ash Chandler, Freudian Slip, Mumbai Mirror Buzz, April 2006.
Caroline Ward (1842). National Proverbs in the Principal Languages of Europe (http://books.google.com/book
s?id=3FEWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA77). J.W. Parker. p. 29.
Cada oveja, con su pareja.
English equivalent: Like will to like.

"Every man loves well what is like to himself."
Folk-Etymology (http://books.google.com/books?id=fXrlvr_kPXwC&pg=PA216). Ardent Media. 1886. p. 216.
bs.pdf). p. 51.
Costumbre adquirida en la mocedad, se deja muy mal en la vejez.
English equivalent: Old habits die hard.

Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1994). Dictionary of European Proverbs, Volym 1. Routledge. p. 1122. ISBN
0415096243.
Como canta el abad, así responde el sacristán.
Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 138. ISBN 0415160502.
Comprar gato en saco.
English equivalent: Let the buyer have a thousand eyes for the seller wants only one.
Theodore Sturgeon Venture (1957)
0415096243.
Con el agua de la bañadera echar también al niño.
English equivalent: Don't throw out the child with the bath water.
"Do not take the drastic step of abolishing or discarding something in its entirety when only parts of it is
unacceptable."
om/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC&pg=PA66). Infobase Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved
on 25 August 2013.
0415096243.
Con el tiempo todo se consigue.
Swedish equivalent: Time heals all wounds.

ISBN 0415160502.
Como midais sereis medidos.
English equivalent: Whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to you.
0415096243.
Con la gente no es temible la muerte.
Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 187. ISBN 0415160502.
Corazón no es traidor.
English equivalent: The heart sees farther than the head.

"We are double in ourselves, so that what we believe we disbelieve, and cannot rid ourselves of what we
condemn."
As quoted in The Complete Works of Michael de Montaigne (1877) edited by William Carew Hazlitt, p. 289
Manuel de Valbuena (1822). Diccionario universal Español -Latino (http://books.google.com/books?id=50gOf
3FIe5AC&pg=PA273). Imp. Nacional. p. 273.
Cuando la cabeza duele todos los miembros duelen.
English equivalent: When the head is sick, the whole body is sick.
0415096243.
Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas cortar, pon las tuyas a remojar.
Translation: When you see your neighbour's beard being cut, put yours in water.
Meaning: Be cautious when you see disgraces to people near you.
Cuando todos dicen que eres asno, rebuzna y ponte rabo.
English equivalent: When all men say you are an ass, it is time to bray.
0415096243.
Cuando te dieren un condado, agárrale.
English equivalent: When the pig is proffered, hold up the poke.

0415096243.
Cuando tu amigo pide, no hay mañana.
English equivalent: When thy friend asks, let there be no to-morrow.

Cuando una puerta se cierra, ciento se abren.
English equivalent: When one door closes another opens.

Meaning: "When baffled in one direction a man of energy will not despair, but will find another way to his
object."
Source for meaning: Proverbs of All Nations (http://books.google.com/books?id=PdxtAAAAMAAJ). W. Kent &
Company (late D. Bogue). 1859. p. 67. Retrieved on 26 August 2013.
0415096243.
Cuanto menos se diga, mejor.
English equivalent: Least said, soonest mended.

Meaning: "In private animosities and verbal contentions, where angry passions are apt to rise, and irritating, if
not profane expressions are often made use of, as we sometimes see to be the case, not only among
neighbors, but in families, between husbands and wives, or parents and children, or the children themselves
and other members of the household, - the least said, the better in general. By multiplying words, cases often
grow worse instead of better."
Source for meaning of English equivalent: Porter, William Henry (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical
Order ... (http://books.google.com/books?id=KA4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA125). Munroe and Company. pp. 125.
Whit Wirsing (9 June 2009). The Ultimate Spanish Phrase Finder: Frases Equivalente: Ingles-espanol,
Espanol-ingles (http://books.google.com/books?id=0effedg01CUC). McGraw Hill Professional. p. 110. ISBN
978-0-07-143303-7. Retrieved on 8 June 2013.
Cuídame del agua mansa, que de la brava, yo sólo me cuidaré.
English equivalent: Still water runs deep.

0415096243.
Cuidado ajeno de pelo ruelga.
English equivalent: No one knows where the shoe pinches, but he who wears it.
Meaning: "Nobody can fully understand another person's hardship or suffering."
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC). Infobase Publishing. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
bs.pdf). p. 4.
D
Dar al diablo lo que es debido.
English equivalent: Give the devil his due.

"Bad conduct soils the finest ornament more than filth."
Plautus, Mostellaria, I. 3. 133.
Martin H. Manser (2009). The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions (http://books.google.com/books?id=ltGvU
YNkr8MC&pg=PA337). Infobase Publishing. p. 337. ISBN 978-0-8160-7105-0.
0415096243.
De buenas intenciones esta empedrado el camino al infierno.
English equivalent: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

De grandes cenas están las sepulteras llenas.
English equivalent: Gluttony kills more than the sword.

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De malas costumbres nacen buenas leyes.
English equivalent: Good laws have sprung from bad customs.

"Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and
society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude
that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are
opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all.
We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is
as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise
grain."
Frédéric Bastiat, The Law (http://www.friesian.com/quotes.htm) (1850)å
0415096243.
Del mal el menos.
English equivalent: Of two evils choose the least.

"If you are forced to choose between two options, both of which are undesirable, all you can do is choose the
one that is less undesirable than the other."
Source for meaning of English equivalent: {Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs
bs.pdf). p. 5.
De noche los gatos Todos son Pardos.
English equivalent: At night all cats are grey.

bs.pdf). p. 10.
Debajo del sayal hay mal.
English equivalent: Judge not a man and things at first sight.

"No good Book, or good thing of any sort, shows its best face at first."
Thomas Carlyle, Essays, "Novalis" (1829)
0415096243.
Despues de los años mil, Torna el agua a su carril.
English equivalent: It will all be the same a hundred years hence.

bs.pdf). p. 48.
Devolver bien por mal.
English equivalent: If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Meaning: Make something good out of bad things that has happened to you.
0415096243.
Del hombre necio a veces buen consejo.
English equivalent: A fool may give a wise man counsel.

"Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any
right, nor any preference to claim over another. You are brothers."
Muhammad, The Last Sermon of Muhammad delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H (c. 630 AD)
ISBN 0415160502.
Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres.
English equivalent: A man is known by the company he keeps.

bs.pdf). p. 5.
Dinero guardado, dinero capado.
Translation: The hidden things of wisdom and a treasure that is not seen, what profit is in them both?
English equivalent: Money is there to be spent.
0415096243.
Dios que de la llaga, de la medicina.
English equivalent: God who gives the wound gives the salve.
0415096243.
Dios me libre de hombre de un libro.
English equivalent: Fear the man of one book.

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also
remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See (1990)
0415096243.
Dios mejora, las horas.
English equivalent: After rain comes sunshine.

bs.pdf). p. 7.
Dios tarda, pero no olvida.
Translation: God is slow, but he does not forget.

English equivalent: Punishment is lame but it comes.
0415096243.
Dividar para reinar.
Translation: Divide to rule.

English equivalent: Divide and conquer.
Meaning: "The best way to conquer or control a group of people is by encouraging them to fight among
themselves rather than allowing them to unite in opposition to the ruling authority."
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "823" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT565). Concise
Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-78978-6.
Dolor comunicado, dolor alviado.
English equivalent: A problem shared is a problem halved.

0415096243.
Dueña yo dueña tu, ¿quién botará la puerca afuera?
Translation: You a lady, I a lady who is to drive out the sow?

English equivalent: There are too many chiefs and not enough indians.
0415096243.
E
Echar margaritas á puercos.
English equivalent: Do not throw pearls before swine.

bs.pdf). p. 22.
El abismo llama al abismo
English equivalent: Deep calls to deep.

"((Orion) A hunter of shadows, himself a shade."
Homer, Odyssey, XI. 572. (~ 800 BC)
0415096243.
El mejor no vale nada.
English equivalent: Bad is the best choice.

"I always search good in bad. l also search bad in good."
Vennu Malesh, It's My Life (2012) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJa2kwoZ2a4
bs.pdf). p. 17.
El peresozo siempre es menesteroso.
English equivalent: Poverty is the reward of idleness.

"Trust not yourself; but your defects to know,
Make use of ev'ry friend—and ev'ry foe."
Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism (1709)

0415096243.
El ciego no distingue colores."
English equivalent: A blind man should not judge of colours.

"An uneducated man cannot judge of the attainments of the learned."
M. W. Carr (1868). A Collection of Telugu Proverbs translated, illustrated and explained; together with some
Sanscrit Proverbs printed in the Devanâgarî and Telugu Characters: By M. W. Carr. A Supplement to the
Collection of Telugu Proverbs: containing additional Proverbs, an Index verborum, and an index to the
European Proverbs quoted in illustration (http://books.google.com/books?id=oJw-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA141).
Christian Knowledge Society's Press. p. 141.
s?id=3FEWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1). J.W. Parker. pp. 1–.
El dìa que te casas, o te matas o te sanas.
English equivalents: Choose a wife rather by your ear than your eye.
"Use great prudence and circumspection, in choosing thy wife, for from thence will spring all thy future good
or evil; and it is an action of life like unto a stratagem of war, wherein a man can err but once."
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, Certain Precepts Or Directions for the Well-Ordering and Carriage of a
Man's Life (c. 1584, first published 1617)
0415096243.
El favo es dulce, mas pica la abeja.
English equivalent: He that will not endure the bitter will not live to see the sweet.
0415096243.
El fruto no cae lejos del árbol.
English equivalent: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
"Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents."
El hijo de la gata ratones mata.
English equivalent: Like father, like son.

"Sons may look and behave like their fathers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely
and daily."
0415096243.
El hilo siempre se rompe por lo más delgado.
English equivalent: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

"A weak part or member will affect the success or effectiveness of the whole."
on 31 July 2013.
ISBN 0415160502.
El lenguaje de la verdad es sencillo.
English equivalent: Truth gives a short answer, lies go round about.

"You do so love to talk in riddles. Do you do that, I wonder as a substitute for having anything interesting to
say?"
Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth and Christian Cantamessa, Read Dead Redemption (2010)
0415096243.
El mejor nadador es del agua.
0415096243.
El miedo no es tonto.
English equivalent: Discretion is the better part of valor.

0415096243.
El peresozo siempre es menesteroso.
English equivalent: Poverty is the reward of idleness.

El perro ladra y la caravana pasa.
English equivalent: The dogs bark but the caravan passes on.
"Whatever any one does or says, I must be good."
Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations (161 BC)
El pez grande se come al chico.
English equivalent: Men are like fish; the great ones devour the small.
"Small organizations or insignificant people tend to be swallowed up or destroyed by those that are greater
and more powerful."
c8NbTYC&pg=PA358). Infobase Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 1 July 2013.
0415096243.
El poeta nace, el orador se hace.
English equivalent: Poets are born, but orators are trained.

ISBN 0415160502.
El ruin pajarillo, Descubra su nidillo.
English equivalent: Don't wash your dirty linen in public; It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
"Why wantonly proclaim one's own disgrace, or expose the faults or weaknesses of one's kindred or people?"
"It is considered contemptible to defy the rule of solidarity by revealing facts harmful to the group one belongs
to."
Proverbs of All Nations (http://books.google.com/books?id=PdxtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA109). W. Kent &
Company (late D. Bogue). 1859. p. 109.
Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "106" (http://books.google.com/books?id=JiXzAAAAMAAJ). European proverbs: in
55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda.
p. 466. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
Kelly, Walter Keating (1859). Proverbs of all nations (W. Kent & co. (late D. Bogue) ed.). p. 45.
El que no es conmigo, contra mí es.
English equivalent: He who is not with me is against me.

"Friends are those who believe in us and who want to help us whatever it is that we are trying to achieve."
Aung San Suu Kyi, Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Acceptance Speech by Aung San Suu Kyi,
Strasbourg, 22 October 2013 (http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-lecture_en.ht
ml#)
Originally from the Bible, Luke 11:23 and Matthew 12:30. Specificed as a proverb in (Strauss, 1994 p. 974)
El que jugó, jugará.

English equivalent: Once a drunkard always a drunkard; Once a thief always a thief.
"People keep telling us who they are, but we ignore it - because we want them to be who we want them to
be."
Lisa Albert, Janet Leahy, Matthew Weiner, Mad Men (2010)
0415096243.
El que no es envidiado, es que no es afortunado.
English equivalent: No enemies is a sign that fortune has forgotten you.

0415096243.
El que se ahoga, se agarra a un perlo
English equivalent: A drowning man plucks at a straw.

ISBN 0415160502.
El que súbito se determina, súbito se arrepiente.
English equivalent: Hasty judgment leads to repentance.

0415096243.
El tiempo perdido los santos lo lloran.
English equivalent: Time is precious.

"Days are of the least pretension, and of the greatest capacity of anything that exists. They come and go like
muffled and veiled figures sent from a distant friendly party; but they say nothing, and if we do not use the
gifts they bring, they carry them as silently away."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Works and Days. (1904)
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "858" (http://books.google.com/books?id=z-3FyaMKtfUC&pg=PA723). Dictionary of
European proverbs. II. Taylor & Francis. p. 723. ISBN 978-0-415-10381-7.
El tiempo y la marea no esperan al rey.
English equivalent: Time and tide wait for no man.

"The negligent and unreflecting man resolves to accomplish a certain important object at some future period;
but in the intervening time, some preparatory, though in itself comparatively trifling business, is indispensable.
At length the period for accomplishing the ultimate object arrives: but, alas! the prerequisite, so absolutely
connected and essential, is neglected, and then, vain man!"
Source for meaning of English equivalent: Porter, William Henry (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical
Order ... (http://books.google.com/books?id=KA4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA169). Munroe and Company. p. 169.
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "1743" (http://books.google.com/books?id=HJ_BJtntMioC&pg=PA167). Concise
Dictionary of European Proverbs. II. Routledge. p. 1210. ISBN 978-0-203-00905-5.
El trabajo según la paga.
English equivalent: You get what you pay for.

"The quality of goods and services is reflected in their price - cheap things are usually inferior and expensive
things are usually superior."
0415096243.
En boca cerrada ni moscas ni nada.
English equivalent: A still tongue keeps a cool head.

"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence."
Publilius Syrus, Sententiae (100 B.C)
0415096243.
En casa del ahorcado, no se ha de mentar la soga.
English equivalent: Name not a rope in his house who hanged himself.
En casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo.
English equivalents: The shoemaker goes barefoot.

"Working hard for others one may neglect one's own needs or the needs of those closest to him."
0415096243.
En la duda, abstente.
English equivalent: When in doubt, don't.

"If you are unsure what to do, it is best to do nothing at all."
0415096243.
En la tardanza suele estar el peligroso.
English equivalent: Delays are dangerous.

"Hesitation or procastination may lead to trouble or disaster."
c8NbTYC&pg=PA53). Infobase Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 10 August 2013.
0415096243.
En tierra de ciegos, el tuerto es rey.
English equivalent: Among the blind, the one-eyed is king.

"People of only limited capability can succeed when surrounded by those who are even less able than
themselves."
bs.pdf). p. 2.
En toda cosa hay que considerar el fin.
English equivalent: Whatever you do, act wisely, and consider the end.
0415096243.
Entre dos muelas cordales nunca pongas tus pulgares.
English equivalent: Don't go between the tree and the bark.

0415096243.
Es más fácil ver la paja en ojo ajeno que la viga en el propio (taken from the Bible, Matthew, 7:3-5)
English equivalent: We see the mote in anothers eye but not the beam in our own.
Strauss, Emmanuel (1995). Las Condiciones de Vida de la Población Pobre de la Provincia de Albacete.
Cáritas Española. p. 113. ISBN 8489397058.
Es un hombre sin honor, el que piense mal de esta acción.

English equivalent: Shame take him that shame thinketh.
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
Robert J. Hanlon, Murphy's Law Book Two : More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong! (1980)
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. entry 806. ISBN
0415096243.
Estar en Roma y no ver el papa.
English equivalent: He was in Rome and did not see the pope.
Emanuel Strauss (11 January 2013). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs (http://books.google.com/boo
ks?id=RzctBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA274). Routledge. p. 274. ISBN 978-1-136-78971-7.
El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma
English equivalent: A bad workman blames his tools.

Pérez Martínez, Herón (1993). Refrán viejo nunca miente: refranero mexicano Colección Tradiciones.
Colegio de Michoacán. p. 113. ISBN 9686959068.
El saber es fuerza.
English equivalent: Learning is the eye of the mind.

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to
differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
William Feather As quoted in Telephony, Vol. 150 (1956), p. 23 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Wm0jAQ
AAMAAJ&q=%22being+able+to+differentiate+between+what+you+do+know%22&dq=%22being+able+to+diff
erentiate+between+what+you+do+know%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qYJOU9dAzoXRAYumgcAP&ved=0CMsCEO
gBMDQ); the first two sentences of this statement began to be attributed to Anatole France in the 1990s, but
without any citations of sources.
ISBN 0415160502.
El que no oye consejo no llega a viejo.
English equivalent: Advice most needed is the least heeded.

p. 112. ISBN 0313253854.
El que tiene frio sopla el fuego.
English equivalent: Let him that is cold blow the coals.

"My definition of success is doing what you love. I feel many people do things because they feel they have to,
and are hesitant to risk following their passion."
Tony Hawk, American businessman, entrepreneur, skateboard pro. Interviewed by Gary Cohn for
Entrepreneur Magazine (October 2009)
Es cosa de dos.
English equivalent: It takes two to tango.

Författare Cambridge University Press (2008). Titel Diccionario Bilingue Cambridge Spanish-English
Paperback Compact edition. Cambridge University Press. p. 576. ISBN 8483234823.
Es el tono que hace la música.
English equivalent: It is not what you do, but the way that you do it.
"We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh, but, instead, we must be simple, humble and pure."
Francis of Assisi, “Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance,” Francis of
Assisi: Early Documents, (1220)
Emanuel Strauss (11 January 2013). "1341" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT802).
Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 802. ISBN 978-1-136-78978-6.
Es mejor tostón asegurado que dime apostado.

English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
"Something you have for certain now is of more value than something better you may get, especially if you
risk losing what you have in order to get it."
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC). Infobase Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
Retrieved on 29 July 2013.
Es muy frecuente la risa en la boca del necio.
English equivalent: A fool is ever laughing.

Emanuel Strauss (1994). "137" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT102). Concise
Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-136-78978-6.
Es peor el remedio que la enfermedad.
Translation: The remedy is often worse than the disease; Burn not your house to rid it off the mouse.
"Action taken to put something right is often more unpleasant or damaging than the original problem."
Urbina (2005). Refranero Latino. Ediciones Akal. p. 306. ISBN 8446012960.
Excusa no pedida, la culpa manifesta.
English equivalent: A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

"People who know they have done wrong reveal their guilt by the things they say or the way they interpret
what other people say."
Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "243" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT565). Concise
F
Fue por lana y salió trasquilado.
(He/She) went looking for wool and came back shorn.

Interpretations:
If you go for something it might end up biting you

you woo someone but end up heartbroken.
you try to cheat someone but get cheated yourself.
Chasing glamour will get you fleeced.
All that glitters isn't gold.
Muñoz Borrero, Eduardo (1981). En el Palacio de Carondelet: gobernantes ecuatorianos del

Presidente Flores al Presidente Hurtado. Artes Gráficas Señal. p. 507. ISBN 0415160502.
G
Gato escaldato del aqua fria há miedo.
English equivalent: A burnt child dreads the fire.

bs.pdf). p. 2.
Gobernar es prever.
English equivalent: An ounce of preventions is better than a pound of cure.

Guarda mozo, y hallarás viejo.
English equivalent: Diligent youth makes easy age.

0415096243.
H
Hay gato encerrado.
English equivalent: Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep.
0415096243.
Haz lo que dice el fraile, y no lo que hace.
English equivalent: Preachers say: do as I say, not as i do.

0415096243.
Hacer de una pulga un elefante.
English equivalent: Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Hechos dan testimonio, que no las palabras.
English equivalent: No need of words, trust deeds.

"Actions may be, and indeed sometimes are deceptive in a measure though not as much so as words; and
accordingly are received in general as more full and satisfactory proofs of the real disposition and character
of persons than verbal expressions."
Source for meaning:Porter, William Henry (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical Order ... (http://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=KA4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA10). Munroe and Company. p. 10.
0415096243.
Hijo de gato, caza ratón

Howard, Christopher. Official Guide to Cuban Spanish. Costa Rica Books. p. 113. ISBN 1881233901.
Hombre prevenido vale por dos.
English equivalent: Forewarned is forearmed.

p. 162. ISBN 0313253854.
Hoy por mí y mañana por tí.
English equivalent: Today me, tomorrow thee.

0415096243.
Quien con el diablo haya de comer, larga cuchara ha menester.
English equivalent: He who sups with the devil must use a long spoon.
J
Jugar con fuego es peligroso.
English equivalent: Do not play with edged tools.
0415096243.
L
La carne más sabrosa es la que está junta al hueso.
English equivalent: The sweetest flesh is near the bones.

Strauss, Emanuel (1994). "1666". Dictionary of European proverbs. II. Routledge. p. 1176. ISBN
0415096243.
La dicha de la fea, la linda de la desea .
English equivalent: Handsome is that handsome does.

"People should be valued for their good deeds, not their good looks, also occasionally used of things, or as a
warning not to be misled by an attractive appearance."
c8NbTYC). Infobase Publishing. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
0415096243.
La envidia es la sombra de la gloria.
English equivalent: Envy always shooteth at a high mark.

0415096243.
La envidia no muere jamás.
English equivalent: Envy takes no holiday.

0415096243.
La historia se repite.
English equivalent: Something that has happened once can happen again.
0415096243.
La mayoría es razón.
English equivalent: What everybody says must be true.

0415096243.
La mayor dicha o desdicha del hombre es la mujer.
English equivalent: A cheerful wife is the spice of life.

ISBN 0415160502.
La mejor defensa es el ataque.
English equivalent: The best defence is a good offense.

"You are more likely to win if you take the initiative and make an attack rather than preparing to defend
yourself."
c8NbTYC&pg=PA21). Infobase Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 30 June 2013.
0415096243.
La necesidad hace a la vieja trotar.
English equivalent: Necessity has no law.

bs.pdf). p. 60.
La ropa sucia se lava en casa.
English equivalent: It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
0415096243.
La salud ante todo.
English equivalent: Good health is above wealth.

0415096243.
La serpiente se oculta en la hierba.
English equivalent: Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep.
0415096243.
La voz del pueblo es voz de Dios.
English equivalent: The voice of the people is the voice of god.

0415096243.
La segunda idea suele ser mejor.
English equivalent: Second thoughts are the best.

bs.pdf). p. 73.
Las parablas no cuentan.
English equivalent: Eggs and oaths are soon broken.

0415096243.
La unión hace la fuerza.
English equivalent: United we stand, divided we fall; Union is strength.

0415096243.
Las ratas abandonan el barco que se hunde.
English equivalent: Rats desert a sinking ship.

0415096243.
Ladroncillo de agujeta, después sube a barjuleta.
English equivalent: He that steals an egg will steal an ox.

0415096243.
Lavandera mala no encuentra jamás buena piedra.

Translation: A bad washer doesn't ever find a good rock.
English equivalent: A bad craftsman blames his tools.

Las aguas quietas calan hondo.
Translation: Still waters run deep.

English equivalent: Still waters run deep.
Source for proverb: Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge.
p. 598. ISBN 0415096243.
Las aparencias engañan.
English equivalent: Appearances deceive.

En la variedad está el gusto.
English equivalent: Variety is the spice of life.

Lo barato cuesta caro.
English equivalent: If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.

Lo que mal empieza, mal termina.
English equivalent: A bad beginning makes a bad ending.

"It is as impossible that a system radically erroneous, once commenced, should end well, as it is that a
mathematical problem, commenced wrong, should come out right."
William Henry Porter (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical Order ... (http://books.google.com/books?id=
KA4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA202). Munroe and Company. p. 202.
Emanuel Strauss (1994). "1" (http://books.google.com/books?id=sm96Wlt8Ql0C&pg=PT9). Concise
Lo que no mata, engorda.

Alt: Mugre (mierda) que no mata, engorda.
Alt: Veneno que no mata, engorda. (Peru)
English equivalent: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (Nietzsche)
p. 162. ISBN 0313253854.
Lo que puedes sólo, no esperes a otro.
English equivalent: For what thou canst do thyself, rely not on another.
0415096243.
Los grandes ingenios se encuentran.
English equivalent: Great minds agree.

0415096243.
Los primeros serán postreros.
English equivalent: The last will be first, and the first last.
0415096243.
M
Manos besa el hombre, que querria ver cortadas.
English equivalent: Many kiss the hand they wish cut off.
0415096243.
Más lejos ven los sesos que los ojos.
English equivalent: The eye looks but it is the mind that sees.
0415096243.
Mas vale algo que nada
English equivalent: Better a lean jade than an empty halter.

ISBN 0415160502.
Más vale andarse soltero que con mal compañero.
English equivalent: Better be alone than in bad company.

0415096243.
Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.
English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

p. 224. ISBN 0313253854.
Más vale un presente que dos después.
English equivalent: One today is worth ten tomorrows.

0415096243.
Mas valé punada de natural que almorzada de ciencia.
English equivalent: Nature is beyond all teaching.

0415096243.
Mas vale rodear que no ahogar.
English equivalent: Better go about than fall into the ditch.

Mas vale saber que hablar (haber).
English equivalent: A good mind possess a kingdom.

ISBN 0415160502.
‘’Mas vale tarde que nunca.’’
English equivalent: Better late than never.

"It is better that somebody arrives or something happens later than expected or desired, than not at all."
c8NbTYC&pg=PA25). Infobase Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 30 June 2013.
bs.pdf). p. 14.
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.
Alt: Sabe más el diablo por viejo que por diablo.

Translation: The devil knows more because he's old, than because he is devil.
Interpretations:
With age comes wisdom.

p. 78. ISBN 0313253854.
¡Médico, cúrate a ti mismo!
English equivalent: Physician, heal yourself!

0415096243.
Mejor es doblar que quebrar.
English equivalent: Better bow than break.

"It is better to make some confession, or pay a little deference to others, our neighbors, friends,
acquaintances, and especially our superiors, rather than lose our credit or break friendship."
Ward, Caroline (1842). National Proverbs in the Principal Languages of Europe (http://books.google.com/boo
ks?id=3FEWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA20). J.W. Parker. p. 20.
Mejor es el fin que los medios.
English equivalent: Crooked logs make straight fires.

0415096243.
Menea la cola el can, no por ti, sino por el pan.
English equivalent: Dogs wags their tail, not so much to you as your bread.
0415096243.
Meted las manos en vuestro seno, veréis vuestro mal y no el ajeno.
English equivalent: Forget other faults remembering your own; Forgive and forget.
0415096243.
Mientras la hierba crece el caballo muere.
English equivalent: While the grass grows the steed starves.

0415096243.
Mirar antes de saltar.
English equivalent: Look before you leap.

"The man who thinks before he acts, is most likely to act with discretion, and have no future cause to repent
of his conduct; but he who acts blindly, without any foresight, will probably suffer for his rashness."
Trusler, John (1790). Proverbs exemplified, and illustrated by pictures from real life (http://quod.lib.umich.edu/
e/ecco/004859207.0001.000?rgn=main;view=fulltext). p. 115.
0415096243.
Mucha paya y poco grano; es por vicio del verano.
English equivalent: Great cry and little wool.

"Much ado about nothing."
Keating, Walter (1859). Proverbs of All Nations (http://books.google.com/books?id=PdxtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1
28). W. Kent & Company (late D. Bogue). p. 128.
Muchos amenes al cielo llegan.
English equivalent: Short prayers reach heaven.

bs.pdf). p. 75.
Mucho tiene que hacer quien ha de gustar á todos.
English equivalent: He had need rise early who would please everybody.
"It is impossible to do something that everybody will approve of."
Muchos golpes derriban un roble.
English equivalent: Little strokes fell great oaks.

"A difficult task, e. g. removing a person/group from a strong position, or changing established ideas cannot
be done quickly. It can be achieved gradually, by small steps, a little at a time."
N
Nada hay nuevo debajo del sol.
English equivalent: Nothing is new.

0415096243.
Nadie da palos de balde.
English equivalent: You don't get nothing for nothing; The only free cheese is in the mouse trap.
"Everything has to be paid for, directly or indirectly, in money or in kind."
0415096243.
Nadie es indispensable.
English equivalent: No man is indispensable.

ISBN 0415160502.
Nadie puede ser juez en causa propia.
English equivalent: No one can be the judge in his own case.

0415096243.
Necio es quien piensa que otros no piensan.
English equivalent: He is a fool that thinks not another thinks.

0415096243.
Ni de amigo reconcilado, ni de manjar dos veces guisado.

English equivalent: Take heed of enemies reconciled and of meat twice boiled.
ISBN 0415160502.
No dejes camino viejo por sendero nuevo.
English equivalent: A short cut is often a wrong cut.

Strauss (1998). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 394. ISBN 0415160502.
No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy.
English equivalent: Leave nothing for tomorrow what can be done today.
No fies mujer de fraile, ni barajes con alcade.
English equivalent: A king's favour is no inheritance.

ISBN 0415160502.
No hay cerrudura, si es de oro la ganzua.
English equivalent: A golden key opens any gate but that of heaven.
bs.pdf). p. 31.
No hay enemigo pequeño.
English equivalent: There is no little enemy.

0415096243.
No hay mal que por bien no venga.
English equivalent: Every cloud has a silver lining.
No hay peor burla, Que la verdadera.
English equivalent: Many a true words are spoken in jest.

"A joke's a very serious thing."
Charles Churchill, The Ghost (1763), book iv, line 1386
No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver.
English equivalent: There are none so blind as they who will not see.
No hay peor sordo que el que no quiere oír.
English equivalent: None so deaf as those who will not hear.

0415096243.
No hay regla sin excepción.
English equivalent: There is no rule without an exception.

0415096243.
No hay que dejar lo segur por lo dudoso
English equivalent: He that leaves certainty and sticks to chance,

When fools pipe, he may dance.
ISBN 0415160502.
No hay que jugar con le salud.
English equivalent: Don't burn the candles at both ends.

0415096243.
No hay tal ciencia como tener paciencia.
English equivalent: An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains.

0415096243.
No hay tal razón como la del bastón.
English equivalent: Accusing is proving, when malice and force sit judges; The wolf finds a reason for taking
the lamb.
0415096243.
No pidas perdon antes de ser acusado.
English equivalent: Never ask pardon before you are accused.

No se pierde todo lo que está en peligro.
English equivalent: Bitter pills may have blessed effects.

"Present afflictions may tend to our future good."
James Kelly (1818). A Complete Collection of Scottish Proverbs Explained and Made Intelligible to the
English Reader (http://books.google.com/books?id=tsBCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA43). Rodwell and Martin. p. 43.
No te arrepientas nunca de haber comido poco.
English equivalent: Feed sparingly and defy the physician.

0415096243.
No todas las verdades son para dichas.
English equivalent: All truths are not to be told.

0415096243.
No todo es vero lo que suena el pandero.
English equivalent: A story never loses in the telling.

No todo lo que brilla es oro.
English equivalent: Not everything that glitters is gold.

p. 292. ISBN 0313253854.
No se cazan liebres al son del tambor.
English equivalent: Drumming is not the way to catch a hare.

0415096243.
No se puede sacar agua de una piedre.
English equivalent: You can't milk a bull.

0415096243.
No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo.
English equivalent: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

Non hay libro tan malo, que no tenga algo bueno.
English equivalent: No book was so bad, but some good might be got out of it.
0415096243.
O
Obra de comun, obra de ningun.
English equivalent: Everyone's business is no ones business.

"Matters that are of general concern, but are the responsibility of nobody in particular, tend to get neglected
because everybody thinks that somebody else should deal with them."
bs.pdf). p. 116.
on 11 June 2013.
Oro es lo que oro vale.
English equivalent: Everything is worth its price.

bs.pdf). p. 33.
P
Para curar no basta la intencion.
English equivalent: It is not wise to open old wounds.

Mawr, E.B. (1885). Analogous Proverbs in Ten Languages. p. 45.
Para eurar no basta la intencion.
English equivalent: Least said, soonest mended.

Para todo hay comentario.
English equivalent: Every why hath its wherefore.

"Everything has an underlying reason."
c8NbTYC&pg=PA80). Infobase Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 22 September
2013.
0415096243.
Pato, ganso y ansarón, tres cosas suena y una son.
English equivalent: Goose, gander and gosling are three sounds but one thing.
0415096243.
Perro ladrador, poco mordedor.
English equivalent: Barking dogs seldom bite. / All bark, no bite.

"Threatening does not always lead to action: Harsh words may disguise a different feeling, intention or
ability."
Peso y medida quitan al hombre fatiga.
Mawr, E.B. (1885). Analogous Proverbs in Ten Languages. p. X.
Piedra sin agua no aguza en la fragua.
English equivalent: From nothing nothing can come.

ISBN 0415160502.
Poner el carro antes los bueyes.
Translation: To set the cart before the horse.

English equivalent: Don't put the cart before the horse.
"It is important to do things in the right or natural order."
Preso por uno preso por ciento.
English equivalent: In for a penny in for a pound.

Ray, John; Belfour, John (1813). A complete collection of English proverbs: also, the most celebrated
proverbs of the Scotch, Italian, French, Spanish, and other languages (http://books.google.com/books?id=Uz
0KAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA149). G. Cowie and co.. p. 149.
Presto hay un bastón para dar al perro.
English equivalent: A stick is easily found to beat a dog.

Por un gustazo, un trancazo.
Translation: Pride comes before fall.

0415096243.
Por una parte se pierde el todo.
English equivalent: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Q
Cual es Maria, tal hija cría .
English equivalent: Like mother, like daughter.

"Daughters may look and behave like their mothers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed
closely and rarely."
Quien á mano agena espera, mal yanta y peor cena.
English equivalent: He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.
Quien mala cama hace, En ella se hace.
English equivalent: As you make your bed, so you must lie.

"You must put up with the unpleasant results of a foolish action or decision."
Qué bonito es ver la lluvia y no mojarse.
English equivalent: Criticism is easy, but art is difficult.

Source: Hernández, Efrén (2007). Obras Completas: Poesía, Cuento, Novela, Volym 1. Fondo de Cultura
Economica. p. 204. ISBN 9681679016.
Quien acheja por agujero, ve su duelo.
English equivalent: Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves.

"People who eavesdrop on the conversations of others risk hearing unfavorable comments about themselves;
used as a warning or reprimand."
Quien bien ama, tarde se olvida.
English equivalent: True love never rusts.

0415096243.
Quien en año quiere ser rico, al medio le ahorcan.
English equivalent: No one gets rich quickly if he is honest.

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Quien bien quiere a Pedro, no hace mal a su perro.
English equivalent: Love me, love my dog.

0415096243.
Quien da luego, da dos veces.
English equivalent: He gives twice, who gives in a trice.

Quien espera, desespera
English equivalent: Who lives by hope will die of hunger.

0415096243.
Quien mal siembra, mal coge.
English equivalent: Sow thin, shear thin.

"The success of most things depends upon knowing how long it will take to succeed."
Charles de Montesquieu, Pensées Diverses (1879)
0415096243.
Quien no adoba gotera, hace casa entera.
English equivalent: A stitch in time saves nine.

"No one needs to be told that a vast deal of labor is expended unnecessarily. This is occasioned, to a great
extent, by the neglect of seasonable repairs."
bs.pdf). p. 6.
Quien no oye consejo, no llega a viejo.
0415096243.
Quien no tiene cabeza, debe tener piernas.
English equivalent: Who falls short in the head must be long in the heels.
Quien pájaro ha de tomar, no ha de ojear.
English equivalent: Deal gently with the bird you mean to catch.
"When people are just, they need friendship in addition."
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (c. 325 BC), Book VIII, 1155.a26
0415096243.
Quien pide no escoge.
Translate: He who asks does not get to choose.

English equivalent: Beggars must be no choosers.
0415096243.
Quien primero llega, ese la calza.
English equivalent: First come, first served.

bs.pdf). p. 32.
Quien quiera peces, que moje el culo.
English equivalent: Birds fly not into our mouth ready roasted.
"One cannot (or should not) expect to benefit without making some effort."
Quien quiere celeste, que le cueste
Translation: He who wants the heavens must pay.

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that
put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their
own sight!"
The Bible, Isaiah 5:12 - 21.
Proverbs|url=http://books.google.com/books?
id=fgaUQc8NbTYC&pg=PA267%7Cyear=2007%7Cpublisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-8160-6673-
5|pages=267–}}
p. 116. ISBN 0313253854.
Quien saltar quiere lejos, debe medir la distancia.
English equivalent: One must step back to take a good leap.

"Information processing keeps going on even when we are not aware of it, even while we are asleep."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (1997)
bs.pdf). p. 62.
Quien tiene cola de paja no debe arrimarse al fuego.
English equivalent: He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun.
Quien tiene hijos o ovejas, no le faltan quejas.
English equivalent: Children are uncertain comforts but certain cares.

"Children are bound to cause their parents anxiety, and may or may not also bring them joy."
0415096243.
Quien cuando puede no quiere, cuando quiere no puede.
English equivalent: He that will not when he may, when he will he may have nay.
"Take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself, even if you do not want or need it at the time,
because it may no longer be available when you do."
R
Roba bien quien a ladron roba.
English equivalent: Set a thief to catch a thief.

Mrs Mawr, E B (2005). Analogous Proverbs In Ten Languages (reprint ed.). Kessinger Publishing. p. 74.
ISBN 1417964677.
S
Saca agua de las piedras.
English equivalent: All is fish that comes to the net.

"Anything that comes along is accepted and turned to advantage."
Martin H. Manser (2007), The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQ
c8NbTYC), Infobase Publishing, p. 5, ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5, retrieved on 16 June 2013
a similar meaning: "… when we do not upbraid circumstances or indulge in self reproach, the mind is the
mind and nothing untoward can occur. Chersterton rightly says 'An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly
understood. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered'"
Blyth, R.H. (1976). Games Zen Masters Play. Mentor. p. 43.
Si adelante no vas, altrasarás.
English equivalent: He who does not advance goes backwards.

0415096243.
Si cazares, no te alabes; si no cazares, no te enfades.
English equivalent: If fortune favours, beware of being exalted; if fortune thunders, beware of being
overwhelmed.
0415096243.
Si el cielo se cae nos cojerá debajo.
English equivalent: If the sky falls, we shall catch larks.

"The Lark is a lofty Bird, and foars perhaps as high as any of the Inhabitants of the airy Regions; and if there
be no other way of coming at them, till the Sky falling down on their Heads beats them down into our Hands,
we shall be little the better for ’em. This Proverb is ufually apply’d to Such Perfons who buoy themfelves up
with vain Hopes, but in Embryo, ill conceived ... to laft till their Accomplifhment." says Mr. Bailey. He
somewhat unpedagogically remarks that "A lark is better than a kite" for "a little which is good, is better than a
great deal of that which is good for nothing."
Divers Proverbs with Their Explication & Illustration, Nathan Bailey, 1721 [1] (https://archive.org/details/divers
proverbsw00bailgoog)
Si el rio suena es porque piedras trae.
English equivalent: "where there's smoke there's fire."

Si la montaña no va a Mahoma, Mahoma íra a la montaña
Note: From an English proverb. The earliest appearance of the phrase is from Chapter 12 of the Essays of
Francis Bacon, published in 1625.
English equivalent: If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain.
"If you cannot get what you want, you must adapt yourself to the circumstances or adopt a different
approach."
0415096243.
Si no como queremos pasamos como podemos.
English equivalent: Do as you may, if you can't do as you could.

0415096243.
Si vale la pena hacerlo, vale la pena hacerlo bien.
English equivalent: If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

"Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully."
Phillips Brooks, as quoted in Primary Education (1916) by Elizabeth Peabody, p. 190
William a Band (1994). Creación del valor. La clave de la gestión competitiva: Diseño e implantación de una
estrategia global (http://books.google.com/books?id=_FvDx085PF0C&pg=PA17). Ediciones Díaz de Santos.
p. 17. ISBN 978-84-7978-174-3. Retrieved on 8 June 2013.
Sin razón se queja del mar quien otra vez navega.
English equivalent: He complains wrongfully at the sea that suffer shipwreck twice.
0415096243.
Sin tentacion no hay victoria.
English equivalent: Without temptation there is no victory.

Duerme en ello, y tomarás consejo

English equivalent: Take counsel of one's pillow.
Sol que mucho madruga, poco dura.
English equivalent: Early ripe, early rotten.

0415096243.
Sólo se tiran piedras al árbol cargado de fruto.
English equivalent: if you have no enemies it is a sign that fortune has forgotten you; People throw stones
only at trees with fruit on them.
0415096243.
T
Tal padre, tal hijo.

"Sons may look and behave like their fathers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely
and daily."
Todo camino vá á Rome.
English equivalent: All roads lead to Rome.

bs.pdf). p. 10.
T
Toma las cosas como vienen.
English equivalent: Take things as you find them.

"We should not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. Instead we should make plans fit the
circumstances."
George S. Patton, War as I Knew It (1947)
0415096243.
U
Un clavo saca a otro clavo.
English equivalent: One nail drives out another.

"As one nail by strength drives out another, So the remembrance of my former love Is by a newer object quite
forgotten."
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (1592)
Diccionario Universal Francés-Español, Español-Francés: Francés-Español. A-C (http://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=sML3FDlQivoC&pg=PA470). Imp. de la Viuda de Jordán e Hijos. 1845. p. 470.
Una golondrina no hace verano.
English equivalent: A swallow doesn't make summer.

0415096243.
V
Vale más huir, que morir.
English equivalent: He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.
"It is wiser to withdraw from a situation that you cannot win than to go on fighting and lose – by a strategic
retreat you can return to the battle or argument with renewed energy at a later date."
0415096243.
Z
Zapatero, a tus zapatos.
English equivalent: Shoemaker, stick to your last or Cobbler, stick to thy last.
0415096243.
See also
Basque proverbs
Catalan proverbs
Galician proverbs
External Links
Novasyon Proverbios (http://www.novasyon.com/proverbios/)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Spanish_proverbs&oldid=2662211"
This page was last edited on 3 September 2019, at 17:56.
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Spanish proverbs

Proverbs from all Spanish-speaking parts of the whole world.

English equivalent: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

A cada necio agrada su porrada.

English equivalentː Every fool is pleased with his own folly.

A cada pajarillo agrada su nidillo.

English equivalent: The bird loves her own nest.

A canas honradas no hay puertas cerradas.

English equivalent: Grey hairs are honorable.

A grandes males, grandes remedios.

English equivalent: Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.

A la ocasión la pintan calva.

English equivalent: Opportunity knocks only once.

English equivalent: Third time's the charm.

A mal nudo, mal cuño.

English equivalent: You must meet roughness with roughness.

‘’A quien dan, no escoge.’’

English equivalent: Beggars can’t be choosers.

A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.

Alt: Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda.

Initiative will be rewarded.

A quien no pide consejo, darlo es de necios.

A quien se hace de miel las moscas le comen.

A seguro, le llevan preso.

For safety you are taken prisoner.

A donde el seto es bajo todos pasan.

English equivalent: Men leap over where the hedge is lower.

Al árbol por el fruto es conocido.

Al fin es debido el honor.

English equivalent: All is well that ends well.

Al freir de los huevos lo verá.

English equivalent: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Al hombre osado la fortuna le da la mano.

English equivalent: Fortune favours the bold.

Al médico, confesor, y letrado, no le hayas engañado.

Al mentiroso le conviene ser memorioso.

English equivalent: A liar should have a good memory.

Al ratón de un sólo agujero presto le pilla el gato.

English equivalent: It is a poor mouse that has only one hole.

Al que mucho se le confía, mucho se le exige.

English equivalent: Everybody to whom much is given, much is expected.

Amores, dolores y dineros, No pueden estar secretos.

English equivalent: Love, smoke and cough are hard to hide.

Antes de criticar pon la mano en tu mecho.

English equivalent: Everyone should sweep before his own door.

Antes de firmar, mirar.

Translation: Look before you sign.

Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces.

Árbol que nace torcido, jamás su tronco endereza

A tree that is born twisted never grows straight.

A lo bueno, dejarlo estar.'

English equivalent: If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

A papaya puesta, papaya partida. (Colombian saying)

Alt: No hay que dar papaya...y a papaya puesta, papaya partida

A falta de pan, buenas son tortas.

Alt: A falta de pan, galletas

If there's no bread, cakes will do.

A donde fueres, haz lo que vieres