Few languages can pack a whole lifetime of wisdom into a single line, but Spanish does it with every refrán.
A refrán is a traditional Spanish proverb, polished by generations of farmers, sailors, grandmothers and writers, and spoken daily from Madrid to Mexico City.
This collection gathers 71 Spanish Proverbs with plain English translations, so every saying can be used, shared and remembered.
So pour yourself a coffee, and let’s walk through centuries of hard-won common sense.
15 Spanish Proverbs on Life & Wisdom
Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. Tell me who you walk with, and I will tell you who you are.
Spanish Proverb
El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta. He who tries to grasp too much holds on to little.
Spanish Proverb
En boca cerrada no entran moscas. Flies do not enter a closed mouth.
Spanish Proverb
Obras son amores y no buenas razones. Deeds are love, not fine words.
Spanish Proverb
Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando. A bird in the hand is worth more than a hundred flying.
Spanish Proverb
Zapatero, a tus zapatos. Cobbler, stick to your shoes.
Spanish Proverb
Cada uno sabe dónde le aprieta el zapato. Each person knows where their own shoe pinches.
Spanish Proverb
Quien con lobos anda, a aullar se enseña. He who runs with wolves learns to howl.
Spanish Proverb
Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente. Eyes that do not see, heart that does not feel.
Spanish Proverb
A lo hecho, pecho. What is done must be faced with courage.
Spanish Proverb
Más vale maña que fuerza. Skill is worth more than strength.
Spanish Proverb
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces. Much noise and few nuts.
Spanish Proverb
El mundo es un pañuelo. The world is a handkerchief.
Spanish Proverb
Que cada palo aguante su vela. Let each mast bear its own sail.
Spanish Proverb
A palabras necias, oídos sordos. To foolish words, deaf ears.
Spanish Proverb
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14 Spanish Proverbs on Hard Work & Perseverance
Quien madruga, Dios lo ayuda. God helps those who rise early.
Spanish Proverb
No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Spanish Proverb
Haciendo y deshaciendo se va aprendiendo. By doing and undoing, one learns.
Spanish Proverb
El que siembra vientos recoge tempestades. He who sows the wind reaps the storm.
Spanish Proverb
Querer es poder. To want is to be able.
Spanish Proverb
Perro que ladra no muerde. A barking dog does not bite.
Spanish Proverb
A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente. Do not look a gift horse in the mouth.
Spanish Proverb
El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho. He who reads much and travels much, sees much and knows much.
Miguel de Cervantes
La constancia todo lo alcanza. Persistence achieves everything.
Spanish Proverb
Quien todo lo quiere, todo lo pierde. He who wants everything loses everything.
Spanish Proverb
El trabajo dignifica al hombre. Work dignifies man.
Spanish Proverb
A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores. In troubled waters, fishermen profit.
Spanish Proverb
No hay atajo sin trabajo. There is no shortcut without work.
Spanish Proverb
Nadie está obligado a lo imposible. No one is bound to the impossible.
Spanish Proverb
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14 Spanish Proverbs on Love, Friendship & Family
En casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo. In the blacksmith’s house, a wooden knife.
Spanish Proverb
El amor es ciego. Love is blind.
Spanish Proverb
Donde hay amor, no hay temor. Where there is love, there is no fear.
Spanish Proverb
Haz el bien y no mires a quien. Do good, and do not ask to whom.
Spanish Proverb
Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos. Raise crows and they will pluck out your eyes.
Spanish Proverb
De tal palo, tal astilla. From such a stick, such a splinter.
Spanish Proverb
Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda. Even if a monkey dresses in silk, she remains a monkey.
Spanish Proverb
Hijos criados, trabajos doblados. Children raised, troubles doubled.
Spanish Proverb
Cuando seas padre, comerás huevos. When you become a father, you will eat eggs.
Spanish Proverb
Matrimonio y mortaja, del cielo baja. Marriage and the shroud descend from heaven.
Spanish Proverb
Entre marido y mujer, nadie se debe meter. Between husband and wife, no one should get involved.
Spanish Proverb
Los trapos sucios se lavan en casa. Dirty linen is washed at home.
Spanish Proverb
Amigo en la adversidad es amigo de verdad. A friend in adversity is a friend indeed.
Spanish Proverb
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas. When there is no bread, cakes will do.
Spanish Proverb
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14 Spanish Proverbs on Patience, Hope & Hard Times
No hay mal que dure cien años. No evil lasts a hundred years.
Spanish Proverb
Después de la tormenta viene la calma. After the storm comes the calm.
Spanish Proverb
A grandes males, grandes remedios. For great evils, great remedies.
Spanish Proverb
A mal tiempo, buena cara. To bad weather, a good face.
Spanish Proverb
El tiempo todo lo cura. Time heals all wounds.
Spanish Proverb
Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho. From saying to doing is a long way.
Spanish Proverb
Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente. The shrimp that falls asleep is swept away by the current.
Spanish Proverb
No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver. There is no worse blind man than the one who refuses to see.
Spanish Proverb
Del árbol caído todos hacen leña. From a fallen tree, everyone makes firewood.
Spanish Proverb
Agua pasada no mueve molino. Water that has passed does not move the mill.
Spanish Proverb
Lo que no mata, engorda. What does not kill you fattens you.
Spanish Proverb
Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena. It is never too late when luck is good.
Spanish Proverb
Dios aprieta pero no ahoga. God squeezes but does not drown.
Spanish Proverb
No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano. No matter how early you rise, dawn comes no sooner.
Spanish Proverb
Also Read: 55 Chinese Proverbs (Traditional Sayings on Life, Wisdom & Patience)
14 Short Spanish Proverbs & Witty Sayings
Barriga llena, corazón contento. Full belly, content heart.
Spanish Proverb
A buen hambre no hay pan duro. To a good hunger, no bread is hard.
Spanish Proverb
Más vale poco que nada. Better a little than nothing.
Spanish Proverb
Quien ríe último, ríe mejor. He who laughs last laughs best.
Spanish Proverb
Todos los caminos llevan a Roma. All roads lead to Rome.
Spanish Proverb
De músico, poeta y loco, todos tenemos un poco. Of musician, poet and madman, we all have a little.
Spanish Proverb
El hábito no hace al monje. The habit does not make the monk.
Spanish Proverb
La avaricia rompe el saco. Greed bursts the sack.
Spanish Proverb
En tierra de ciegos, el tuerto es rey. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king.
Spanish Proverb
Cría fama y échate a dormir. Make a name and lie down to sleep.
Spanish Proverb
El que calla, otorga. Silence gives consent.
Spanish Proverb
Del lobo, un pelo. From the wolf, a hair.
Spanish Proverb
No se hizo la miel para la boca del asno. Honey was not made for the donkey’s mouth.
Spanish Proverb
Por un perro que maté, mataperros me llamaron. For one dog I killed, they called me a dog-killer.
Spanish Proverb
Also Read: 63 Japanese Proverbs (Traditional Sayings on Life, Wisdom & Patience)
Keep a favourite Spanish proverb close at hand, for letters, captions and the moments when plain advice lands best. After all, a saying only survives a thousand years if it keeps telling the truth.
