Más vale tarde que nunca, No hay mal que por bien no venga. 20 essential refranes with meanings.
| Proverb | Literal | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| No hay atajo sin trabajo. | No shortcut without work. | There's no shortcut to success. |
| El que algo quiere, algo le cuesta. | He who wants something, it costs him. | Nothing worth having comes easy. |
| A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda. | God helps he who wakes early. | The early bird catches the worm. |
| Más vale maña que fuerza. | Skill is worth more than force. | Brain over brawn. |
| Proverb | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| Más vale tarde que nunca. | Better late than never. |
| No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy. | Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. |
| La paciencia es la madre de la ciencia. | Patience is the mother of knowledge. |
| Roma no se hizo en un día. | Rome wasn't built in a day. |
| Proverb | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| Más vale prevenir que curar. | Prevention is better than cure. |
| En boca cerrada no entran moscas. | Flies don't enter a closed mouth. (Silence is golden.) |
| No todo lo que brilla es oro. | All that glitters is not gold. |
| Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. | Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are. |
| Proverb | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| No hay mal que por bien no venga. | Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| Quien siembra vientos, recoge tempestades. | You reap what you sow. |
| A lo hecho, pecho. | What's done is done. Face the music. |
| Cada maestrillo tiene su librillo. | Each teacher has their own book. (To each their own.) |
| Proverb | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| El tiempo es oro. | Time is money. |
| No es oro todo lo que reluce. | Not all that glitters is gold. |
| Barriga llena, corazón contento. | Full belly, happy heart. |
| Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho. | Easier said than done. |
Start with: Como dice el refrán... (As the saying goes...)
Or: Ya sabes lo que dicen... (You know what they say...)
Or simply drop the proverb naturally — Spaniards love them!
1. Better late than never = Más vale _____ que nunca.
2. The early bird catches the worm = A quien _____, Dios le ayuda.
3. Every cloud has a silver lining = No hay mal que por _____ no venga.
4. Time is money = El tiempo es _____.
5. Prevention is better than cure = Más vale _____ que curar.
6. Rome wasn't built in a day = Roma no se _____ en un día.
7. You reap what you sow = Quien siembra vientos, recoge _____.
8. Easier said than done = Del dicho al _____ hay mucho trecho.
9. All that glitters is not gold = No todo lo que _____ es oro.
10. As the saying goes = Como dice el _____.
Free tools for translation, text-to-speech and language learning.