Refranes y dichos
(common sayings and proverbs)
Homepage: http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm
Refranes y dichos
(common sayings and proverbs)
Homepage: http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm
|
Introduction This is a selection of the most commonly used saying and proverbs in Spanish, in fact this is a "refranero" (a collection of sayings or proverbs) Some of them are literally exactly the same in English and Spanish and some of them vary but have the same meaning. I have given you some notes on the meanings of the less common words. |
| English | Spanish |
| a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando |
|
it's the early bird that catches the worm |
a quien madruga Dios lo ayuda. madrugar = to get up early |
| brain is better than brawn |
más vale maña que fuerza. maña = skill, knack |
| Rome wasn't built in a day | no se ganó Zamora en
una hora. (Zamora is a town in Spain. It refers to a battle) |
| out of sight, out of mind | ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente |
| one man's meat is another man's poison |
nunca llueve a gusto de todos llover = to rain |
| one man's meat is another man's poison |
lo que a uno cura a otro mata |
| think before you speak | antes de hablar pensar |
| the best things in life are free | lo que no cuesta dinero, siempre es bueno |
| we all make mistakes | el que tiene boca se equivoca |
| as you sow, so shall you reap |
lo que siembres cosecharás sembrar = to sow |
| they that live by the sword shall die by the sword |
quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere hierro = iron |
| you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear |
aunque la mona se vista de seda mona se queda mono = monkey seda = silk |
| you never know what you've got till it's gone | nadie sabe lo que vale el agua hasta que falta |
| a friend in need is a friend indeed | en el peligro se conoce el amigo |
| if you keep your mouth shut, you won’t put your foot in it | en boca cerrada no entran moscas |
| if you buy cheaply, you pay dearly | lo barato sale caro |
| necessity is the mother of invention | la necesidad hace maestros |
| let sleeping dogs lie |
al perro que duerme, no lo despiertes despertar = to wake, wake up |
| you can’t teach an old dog new tricks |
loro viejo no aprende a hablar loro = parrot |
| he who laughs last laughs longest | el que ríe último, ríe mejor |
|
the cure is worse than the cause ? |
peor es el remedio que la enfermedad |
| talk of the devil …(and the devil appears) | hablando del rey de Roma....... (y él que se asoma) |
| beauty is in the eye
of the beholder love is blind |
el sapo a la sapa tiénela
por guapa sapo = toad |
| if you want a thing done well, do it yourself? | si quieres ser bien servido, sírvate a ti mismo |
| better late than never | más vale tarde que nunca |
| no cows, no cares | quien no tiene, no teme |
| time is money | el tiempo es oro |
| there's no time like the present | no hay tiempo como el presente |
| a stitch in time (saves nine) |
una puntada a tiempo ahorra ciento stitch = puntada |
| better safe than sorry | más vale prevenir que curar; |
| don’t count your chickens (before they’re hatched) |
no hay que vender la piel del oso (antes de cazarlo) oso = bear cazar = hunt |
| it’s no use crying over spilt milk | a lo hecho pecho |
| the grass is always greener on the other side | nadie está contento con su suerte |
| to throw the baby out with the bathwater |
tirar las frutas frescas con las pochas adj: pocho = over-ripe - past it |
| every cloud has a silver lining | no hay mal que por bien no venga |
| half a loaf is better than no bread | algo es algo, peor es nada |
| never put off till tomorrow what you can do today | no dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy |
| absence makes the heart grow fonder | la ausencia es al amor lo que al fuego el aire |
| when the cat’s away the mice will play | cuando el gato duerme, bailan los ratones |
| the end justifies the means | el fin justifica los medios |
| two heads are better than one | cuatro ojos ven más que dos |
| waste not, want not |
quien no malgasta no pasa necesidades malgastar = waste |
| you can lead o take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink | puedes darle un consejo a alguien, pero no puedes obligarlo a que lo siga |
| look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves | a quien cuida la peseta nunca le falta un duro |
| many hands make light work |
el trabajo compartido es más llevadero adj: llevadero = bearable |
| to put all your eggs in one basket | poner toda la carne en el asador |
| all that glitters is not gold |
no es oro todo lo que reluce relucir = to twinkle - glitter |
Homepage: http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm