In Spanish, there are countless proverbs that clearly show the richness of the Castilian language. They can be used in virtually any context and situation, offering multiple vital lessons.
Next We will see 80 commented Spanish proverbs ; Although many of them are quite well known, others may teach us something new, as the expression says “you won’t go to bed without knowing one more thing.”
Below we will see several famous proverbs in Spanish used every day by millions of people. Many of these proverbs are widely used in our daily lives, while others, perhaps, are not so well known or have been progressively losing use However, all of them teach us valuable lessons about how to face life, and with this extensive list we can expand our general culture a little.
It is a proverb that indicates that we do not want to hear the complaints and laments of others.
2. He who sings, his evil scares away
It means that whoever is afraid must face them boldly, with good will.
3. Greed breaks the bag
When we are too ambitious we are likely to lose a lot along the way. Being too ambitious can lead to losses.
4. He who follows it gets it
Whoever strives to achieve, who fights for it, can achieve his goal.
5. Variety is the joy
Always doing the same thing can be very boring. The best thing is to try and discover new tastes.
6. From a mangy colt, a beautiful horse
Over time, ugly and old things can become beautiful.
7. Ass I see, ass I want
When you see something you don’t have, you immediately want to have it. It is the desire and whim of something for the simple fact of not having it
8. In the absence of bread, cakes are good
When something is lacking, you have to settle for what you have on certain occasions. Despite not having everything you want, you have to be practical and take advantage of what you already have.
9. Who bells the cat?
It is a rhetorical expression that refers to the fact that no one is willing to do dangerous or, at least, very uncomfortable work.
10. Once the dog is dead, the rabies is over
It means that when there is a problem for which the cause is known, you have to go after it, even if that entails collateral damage. It means eliminating the root problem.
11. Every pig gets its Saint Martin
Everyone comes to their end or their just deserts. This phrase is applied especially to people who have done something evil, such as thugs or criminals.
12. The thief believes that everyone is of his condition
It is said of someone who behaves in a reprehensible manner and that that same person thinks that everyone is going to behave the same, using it as a justification for their behavior.
13. Like father, like son
This proverb is used to highlight the resemblance between parents and children both physically and, especially, behaviorally.
14. There is no worse blind person than the one who does not want to see
This expression implies that those who do not want to know anything about a topic or a debate are capable of ignoring it completely. It is the act of not wanting to know anything about what is being talked about, ignoring the problem.
15. Better late than never
Better that something arrive someday, no matter how late it arrives, than that it never arrives. Better to settle for delay than for absence.
16. Water that you should not drink, let it run
If something is not going to be used, it is better not to use it. Used above all to avoid buying unnecessary things.
17. The best hunter loses the hare
Even the most expert people in any given subject can make mistakes since, no matter how much experience they have, they are still human.
18. There is no evil that lasts a hundred years
In life sometimes we feel bad or have a problem but, very rarely, the problem lasts forever. We live in constant changes, both for good and bad.
19. Evil of many, consolation of fools
If many people are affected by the same thing, usually the comfort they receive is going to be quite personal.
20. Clear things and thick chocolate
When you say something, especially if it is an opinion, it should be as clear and unambiguous as possible.
This expression is used to highlight the hierarchy That is, if there are people who have different roles in an organization, family or any group, there are those who have the decision-making power and those who do not.
22. To what is done, chest
We must be consistent and responsible with the consequences of our actions.
23. The world is a handkerchief
It is an expression used when you find someone you know in a place very far from where you met them. For example, it can be used when we meet a relative from our same town when we are visiting the other side of the country.
24. Not so much, not so bald
There is no need to have excesses or fall short.
25. Don’t look at the teeth of a gift horse
It is used to say that there are those who object even when you give them something. You cannot expect to demand perfection in situations that in themselves are an opportunity that should not be missed.
26. Eyes that do not see, heart that does not feel
It can be applied in an endless number of contexts, but it indicates that when a bad action perpetrated by a person we care about, such as a lover, is unknown, not knowing won’t hurt us
27. Do good and don’t look at who
You have to be good people, no matter who you are with.
28. Courteous does not take away from bravery
You must be polite and speak correctly, but that does not mean that you cannot express your opinion freely.
29. He who laughs last, laughs best
This saying is said when someone celebrates, in a bad way, something without being completely sure that something is not going to change.
30. If I have seen you, I don’t remember
It is used in reference to someone who pretends not to have seen us, although it is clear that he has and has recognized us, but has preferred to pretend that he has not found out.
31. God helps those who get up early
To obtain things in life you have to be responsible with tasks and tasks. You have to sacrifice in life to obtain good results.
32. Old hen makes good broth
It applies to the elderly person who, thanks to having lived a long time, You are expected to have a lot of common sense, experience and wisdom
33. By doing and undoing you learn
Throughout learning, you learn new things, but you also relearn what you have learned and understand, when you make a mistake, why you made a mistake and how to fix it. By doing it again you will learn to do it well.
34. Bulls look better from the barrier
This expression is used to mean that, seen from a certain distance, things look easier than they really are.
35. He who has a mouth makes mistakes
Human beings have opinions and, therefore, we can make mistakes. That is, to the extent that we can all have an opinion, we can all make mistakes.
36. Wherever you go, do what you see
One has to respect the traditions and cultures of the local people where it has gone.
37. He who does not cry does not breastfeed
You have to fight and not settle to achieve what you want.
38. In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king
People who stand out from others, that is, those who have a talent above the rest, even without being experts or well-versed in the subject, may seem to be especially good at it. That is to say, within mediocrity, whoever is a little better attracts attention and seems to be the one who handles the issue.
39. From the fallen tree everyone makes firewood
It indicates that people tend to criticize someone when that person is going through a bad streak or has made a mistake. People pick on that person because he has become the target of people’s sharp tongues.
40. In the blacksmith’s house, a wooden spoon
Used to designate those situations in which someone who does have expert knowledge on a topic does not apply it in his or her closest circle An example of this usually happens to psychologists, who do not apply to themselves what they have learned during their studies.
Whoever uses silence when asking if they have objections is indicating that they are not against, that is, that they give their consent, even if they do not say so explicitly.
42. Time heals everything, except old age and madness
Everything in life has a solution, except the passage of time. The word “madness” was added to make the expression rhyme, although psychological disorders do have treatments that allow the course of psychopathology to improve.
43. Tell me who you are with and I will tell you who you are
Each person’s identity is closely associated and defined by the people with whom they interact.
44. When the river sounds, water carries
When you hear rumors among people, part of what is said must be true.
45. Think wrong and you will be right
Sometimes, being suspicious and misthinking certain situations can lead us to the truth.
46. Better alone than in bad company
It’s all very well being kind and outgoing, but we have to know who to accept in our lives If we relate to someone who does not contribute anything to our lives or who even causes us harm, it is better to be without anyone than with him or her.
47. To the bread, bread, and to the wine, wine
As with the expression “clear water and thick chocolate”, if things have to be said, they should be said clearly and without double meanings.
48. In bad weather, a good face
Against adversity, what you should always do is put a good mood on it.
49. He who makes the law, makes the trap
Whoever has made the laws or who has stipulated what a system is like is, coincidentally, the one who knows how to circumvent it and who, in addition, has stipulated rules that give him certain privileges compared to the rest of mortals.
50. A bird in the hand is better than hundreds in the bush
It means that it is better to keep what you have than not risk it and lose everything.
51. Cost an arm and a leg
It is used to refer to something that requires a lot of effort to obtain, or that you have to pay a great price to obtain.
52. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today
You don’t have to be lazy. It is better to do your obligations as soon as possible than to leave it until later and be lazier.
53. Much ado about nothing
This expression highlights the situation in which someone talks a lot but does little.
54. From saying to doing there is a long way
From what has been said to what has been done in the end there can be a lot of difference.
55. You don’t have to start the house with the roof
You don’t have to start a job or a task at the last step. It is used to say that someone is starting off badly from the start.
56. Barking dog, little biting
It is used for those people who try to prove something by talking but in the end they do not demonstrate it with what matters, which are the facts.
57. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
It is a phrase that comes to justify revenge. If someone has wronged us, it is fair to return that wrong.
58. You won’t go to bed without knowing one more thing
It refers to the idea that every day, no matter how small and banal it may seem, you learn something new.
59. Do well and don’t look at who
You must always act well for everyone, without distinctions.
60. The fish dies through the mouth
You have to be careful with what you do since it is possible to screw up seriously.
61. Even if the monkey dresses in silk, she stays cute
No matter how much you try to change a person, their essence will continue to be there, defining them as they are.
62. Full belly, happy heart
Happiness does not have to be sought beyond the pleasures of life, such as good eating.
63. Music tames beasts
This expression is said with an almost literal meaning: playing music calms us down.
64. Raise crows and they will gouge out your eyes
It refers to how ungrateful and self-centered our own offspring can be.
65. If there is a deal, dog and cat can be friends
Even if two people get along badly, or barely have a relationship, they can understand each other and do things together, they can even agree. That is, common interests can be above quarrels.
66. Weed never dies
It is difficult to get rid of people who do things wrong, or who have hurt us.
67. Raining in the wet
It refers to when a person finds themselves in an unpleasant situation, already problematic in itself, and, on top of that, more problems accumulate, entering an endless spiral.
68. Throw the stone and hide your hand
It refers to people who claim to be innocent, pure and chaste but on more than one occasion they have done things wrong, so there should be little judgment.
69. The righteous paid for sinners
In a conflict situation those who ended up losing were those who were not to blame for anything.
70. The devil knows more because he is old than because he is a devil
Another proverb that refers to experience and age. Sometimes, you know things because you have lived a long time, not because you are a specialist in the subject.
71. Few words are enough for a good understander
There is no need to explain things explicitly. Sometimes it is enough to listen to what has been said and for the person to immediately understand the details of the situation in question.
72. He who covers a lot, squeezes little
Those who set out to achieve many things do not focus on each one of them, they become saturated and fail to finish anything.
73. Breed comes to the greyhound
With a meaning similar to “like father, like son”, used to highlight the resemblance between relatives
74. To foolish words, deaf ears
We must not allow what someone who does not know about the subject says to hurt us. He is ignorant, he does not know our problem in its complexity.
75. All that glitters is not gold
Not everything is what it seems to be, no matter how beautiful and good it may seem at first glance.
76. Love pays with love
We must always give to others the same thing that they have given us, whether in terms of quality or quantity.
77. Faith moves mountains
People can go very far if we are firm in our beliefs and act according to them.
78. He who sows winds, reaps storms
For those who dedicate themselves to spreading hatred and negativity, it is possible that at some point in their life someone will return all the bad things they have sown.
79. What is promised is a debt
If you promise something, you must be consistent with what you promised.
80. What doesn’t kill makes you fat
Given the bad things that may have happened to us, such as having suffered an accident, food poisoning or a bad romantic relationship, if that has not finished us off, it will make us better prepared for life.
