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Proverbios y Dichos
Spanish Proverbs and Sayings
1. A diario una manzana es cosa sana.
Literal translation: An apple a day is a healthy thing.
The equivalent in English:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
2. La salud es la mayor riqueza.
Literal translation: Health is the greatest wealth.
The equivalent in English:
Health is better than wealth.
3. Donde hay humo, hay calor.
Literal translation: Where there is smoke, there is heat.
The equivalent in English:
There's no smoke without fire.
4. Las mentiras tienen las patas cortas.
Literal translation: Lies have short legs.
The equivalent in English:
The truth will out.
5. Siempre llueve sobre mojado.
Literal translation: It always rains on what is wet.
The equivalent in English:
It never rains but it pours.
6. Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.
Literal translation: One bird in the hand is worth more than one hundred that are flying.
The equivalent in English:
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
7. Lo pasado, pasado está.
Literal translation: The past is past.
The equivalent in English:
Let bygones be bygones.
What is past is past.
8. Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro.
Literal translation: When there is hunger, there is no such thing as stale bread.
The equivalent in English:
Beggars can't be choosers.
9. No cantes victoria antes de tiempo.
Literal translation: Don't sing victory before time is up.
The equivalent in English:
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
10. A caballo regalado no le mires los dientes.
Literal translation: Don't look at the teeth of a horse that is given as a present.
The equivalent in English:
Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth.
11. No hay mal que por bien no venga.
Literal translation: There is no bad situation that doesn't come for a good reason.
The equivalent in English:
Every cloud has a silver lining.
12. Quien se fue de Sevilla, perdió su silla.
Literal translation: Whoever left Seville, lost their seat.
The equivalent in English:
Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers.
13. Algo es algo, peor es nada.
Literal translation: Something is something, nothing is worse.
The equivalent in English:
Half a loaf is better than none.
14. Es la gota que colma el vaso.
Literal translation: It's the drop that fills the glass to the brim.
The equivalent in English:
It's the straw that breaks the camel's back.
15. La falta de noticias es una buena noticia.
Literal translation: Lack of news is good news.
The equivalent in English:
No news is good news.
16. Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito.
Literal translation: There is nothing written about tastes.
The equivalent in English:
There is no accounting for taste.
One man's food is another man's poison.
17. El silencio es sagrado.
Literal translation: Silence is sacred.
The equivalent in English:
Silence is golden.
18. Al pan, pan y al vino, vino.
Literal translation: To bread, bread and to wine, wine.
The equivalent in English:
To call a spade a spade.
19. Querer es poder.
Literal translation: To want is to be able.
The equivalent in English:
Where there's a will there's a way.
20. Loro viejo no aprende a hablar.
Literal translation: An old parrot doesn't learn to speak.
The equivalent in English:
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
21. Cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan.
Literal translation: When the cat isn't there, the mice dance.
The equivalent in English:
When the cat's away the mice will play.
22. No se puede tener todo en la vida.
Literal translation: You can't have everything in life.
The equivalent in English:
You can't have your cake and eat it.
You can't have everything in life.
23. Lo mejor es ser franco.
Literal translation: The best thing is to be frank.
The equivalent in English:
Honesty is the best policy.
24. Hay ropa tendida.
Literal translation: There are clothes hanging out.
The equivalent in English:
Walls have ears.
25. Cada moneda tiene dos caras.
Literal translation: Every coin has two faces.
The equivalent in English:
There are two sides to every story.
26. El movimiento se demuestra andando.
Literal translation: Movement is demonstrated by walking.
The equivalent in English:
Actions speak louder than words.
27. El que madruga coge la oruga.
Literal translation: He who rises very early catches the caterpillar.
The equivalent in English:
The early bird catches the worm.
28. Al hierro candente, batirlo de repente.
Literal translation: To the red-hot iron, strike it suddenly.
The equivalent in English:
Strike whilst the iron is hot.
29. El trabajo compartido es más llevadero.
Literal translation: Shared work is lighter.
The equivalent in English:
Many hands make light work.
30. Hoy por ti, mañana por mí.
Literal translation: Today for you, tomorrow for me.
The equivalent in English:
You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Below are two famous sentences written by the great Spanish writer, Miguel de Cervantes. These words have become proverbs in Spain:-
La pluma es la lengua de la mente.
The pen is the language of the soul.
El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.
He who reads a lot and travels a lot, sees a lot and knows a lot.
French Proverbs
Literature Zone
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