Proverbs

Refranes

Spanish proverbs are bits of common sense and cultural wisdom.

English Spanish Literal Translation
Actions speak louder than words. Obras son amores, que no buenas razones. Deeds are love, good reasons aren't.
Advice when most needed is least heeded. El que no oye consejo no llega a viejo. He who hears no advice will not reach old age.
After the feast comes the reckoning. A un gustazo, un trancazo. To a pleasure, a blow with a club.
All cats are gray in the dark. De noche todos los gatos son pardos. At night all cats are brown.
All that glitters is not gold. No es oro todo lo que brilla.  
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. La mejor medicina es la buena comida. The best medecine is good food.
Ask and you shall receive. Quien tiene lengua, a Roma llega. Who has a tongue, gets to Rome.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. El sapo a la sapa tiénela por muy guapa. The male toad finds the female toad very pretty.
Better late than never. Más vale tarde que nunca.  
Better safe than sorry. Más vale precaver que tener que lamentar. Better to prevent than have to lament.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer. Better known evil than good yet to know.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando. Better to have bird in hand than a hundred flying.
Birds of a feather flock together. Cada quien con su cada cual. Each person with his each one.
Clean slate. Borrón y cuenta nueva. Smudge and new account.
A closed mouth catches no flies. En boca cerrada no entran moscas. In a closed mouth flies do not enter.
Clothes do not make the man. El hábito no hace al monje. The habit does not make the monk.
Cold hands, warm heart. No hay pan sin corteza. There is no bread without crust.
The devil finds work for idle hands to do. Cuando el diablo no tiene qué hacer, con el rabo mata moscas. When the devil has nothing to do, he kills flies with his tail.
Do as I say, not as I do. Haz lo que yo digo y no lo que yo hago. Do what I say and not what I do. 
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Hacer las cuentas de la lechera. Do the dairymaid's accounts.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. A caballo regalado no se le mira el colmillo. Don't look a gift horse in the eyetooth.
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. No hay que ahogarse en un vaso de agua. One should not drown in a glass of water.
Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today. No dejes para mañana lo que puedes hacer hoy.  
Don't rest on your laurels. Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente. The shrimp that falls asleep, is carried off by the current.
Don't spread yourself too thin. Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta. One who spreads out too much squeezes little.
The early bird catches the worm. Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda. God helps the one who gets up early.
Easier said than done. Del dicho al hecho hay largo trecho. From said to done there is a long way.
Easy come, easy go. Los dineros del sacristán, cantando se vienen y cantando se van. The sexton's money sing as it comes and sings as it goes.
Eat to live, don't live to eat. Come para vivir y no vivas para comer.  
Empty vessels make the most noise. Mucho hablar y poco decir juntos suelen ir. Talking much and saying little usually go together.
Every cloud has a silver lining. No hay mal que por bien no venga. There's no evil that does not bring some good.
Familiarity breeds contempt. Con los años vienen los desengaños. With the years come the disappointments.
Forewarned is forearmed. Hombre prevenido vale por dos. A warned man is worth two.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Amigo en la adversidad, es amigo de verdad. Friend in adversity is a real friend.
Give credit where credit is due. Al César lo que es del César y a Dios lo que es de Dios. To Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
A good deed is never lost. Haz bien y no mires a quién. Do good and do not look to whom.
Good neighbors are hard to find. No hay mejor hermano que un buen vecino al lado. There is no better brother than a good neighbor.
The greatest scholars are not the best preachers. Unos dicen lo que saben y otros saben lo que dicen. Some say what they know and others know what they say.
Healthy mind, healthy body. Mente sana en cuerpo sano.  
He that knows nothing doubts nothing. Quien nada sabe, de nada duda.  
He who laughs last laughs best. El que ríe último ríe mejor.  
His bark is worse than his bite. Perro ladrador, poco mordedor. Barking dog, little biting.
Honesty is the best policy. Vale más una verdad amarga que muchas mentiras dulces. Better a bitter truth than many sweet lies.
If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas. El que anda con lobos, a aullar se enseña. He who walks with wolves learns to howl.
In unity there's strength. En la unión está la fuerza.  
It's a labor of love. Todo sea por el amor al arte. All be for the love of art.
Jack of all trades, master of none. Aprendiz de todo y maestro de nada. Apprentice of everything and master of nothing.
Keep your chin up. A mal tiempo buena cara. To bad weather, good face.
Kill two birds with one stone. Matar dos pájaros de un tiro. Kill two birds with one shot.
Knowledge is power. El saber no ocupa lugar. Knowledge does not occupy space.
Know your neighbor from the books he reads. Si a tu vecino quieres conocer, averigua qué libros suele leer. If you want to know your neighbor, find out which books he usually reads.
Let sleeping dogs lie. Agua que no has de beber, déjala correr. Water that you shall not drink, let it run.
Like father, like son. De tal palo, tal astilla. From such wood, such splinter.
Live within your means. Vive como rico y ahorrarás como pobre. Live like a rich man and you will save like a poor one.
Look before you leap. Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces. Before you marry, look at what you do.
Love is blind. El amor es ciego.  
Man does not live on bread alone. No sólo de pan vive el hombre.  
A man is known by the company he keeps. Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are.
Man is the master of his destiny. Cada quien es el arquitecto de su propio destino. Each one is the architect of his own destiny.
Misery loves company. Como el perro del hortelano, ni come ni deja comer. The farmer's dog neither eats nor allows others to eat.
A moment on the lips, a lifetime in the heart. El que dice lo que quiere, oye lo que no quiere. He who says what he wants, hears what he does not want.
Money talks. Con dinero baila el perro. With money the dog dances.
Necessity is the mother of invention. La experiencia es la madre de ciencia. Experience is the mother of science.
Nobody's perfect. Al mejor escribano se le va un borrón. Even the best writer slips up with a smudge.
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. Todo tiene solución, menos la muerte. Everything has a solution, except death.
Once bitten twice shy. El gato escaldado del agua fría huye. The scalded cat flees from cold water.
One good turn deserves another. Amor con amor se paga. Love is paid with love.
One man's trash is another man's treasure. El piso de uno es el techo de otro. The floor of one is the ceiling of another.
One swallow does not a summer make. Una golondrina no hace el verano.  
Out of sight, out of mind. Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente. Eyes that do not see, heart that does not feel.
Out of the mouths of babes. Los niños y los locos dicen las verdades. Children and crazy people tell truths.
The pen is mightier than the sword. Más vale maña que fuerza. Better cunning than force.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Vale más una imagen que mil palabras. A picture is worth more than a thousand words.
A place for everything and everything in its place. Un lugar para cada cosa y cada cosa en su lugar.  
Possession is nine-tenths of the law. El que se fue a Sevilla, perdió la silla. He who went to Seville lost his chair.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. El infierno está lleno de buenas propósitos, y el cielo de buenas obras. Hell is full of good intentions, and heaven with good works.
Rome wasn't built in a day. En una hora no se ganó Zamora. Zamora didn't win in an hour.
Seeing is believing. Ver y creer.  
Sleep on it. Antes de hacer nada, consúltalo con la almohada. Before doing anything, consult your pillow.
Something is better than nothing. Algo es algo, peor es nada. Something is something, nothing is worse.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Niño que no llora no mama. Child who does not cry does not nurse.
There's more than one way to skin a cat. Todos los caminos llevan a Roma. All the roads go to Rome.
There's no honor among thieves. Piensa el ladrón que todos son de su condición. The thief thinks that all are of his condition.
There's none so deaf as those who will not hear. No hay peor sordo que el que no quiere oír.  
To each his own. Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito. There is nothing written about taste.
Too many cooks spoil the broth. Son muchas manos en un plato. There are a lot of hands on one plate.
The walls have ears. Las paredes oyen. The walls hear.
A watched pot never boils. No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano. For the early riser the dawn comes not the sooner.
What's done is done. A lo hecho, pecho. To what's done, courage.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Allá donde fueres, haz como vieres. There where you go, do as you see.
When one door shuts, another opens. Donde una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.  
The woman is the key of the house. Casa sin madre, río sin cauce. A house without a mother, a river without a course.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda. Even if a monkey dresses in silk, it's still a monkey.
You can't see the forest for the trees. Los árboles no están dejando ver el bosque. The trees don't let you see the woods.
You can't turn back the clock. El diente miente, la cana engaña, pero la arruga no ofrece duda. The tooth lies, the gray hair fools, but the wrinkle offers no doubt.
You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Más moscas se cogen con una gota de miel que con un cuarto de vinagre. More flies are caught with a drop of honey than with a quart of vinegar.
You reap what you sow. Quien siembra vientos recoge tempestados. He who sows winds reaps tempests.
You're never too late to learn. Nunca es tarde para aprender.  
You've made your bed, now lie in it. Quien mala cama hace, en ella se yace. He who makes a bad bad lies in it.

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