For anyone learning Spanish, these Spanish quotes and proverbs are a great way to get a taste of the language and the culture of the people who speak while perhaps learning some new vocabulary. Here are 20 famous Spanish expressions and their meaning and English translations.
| Spanish Quote | English Translation | Author / Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar. | Traveller, there is no path; the path is made by walking. | Antonio Machado |
| 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 vida es sueño, y los sueños, sueños son. | Life is a dream, and dreams are only dreams. | Pedro Calderón de la Barca |
| En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme… | In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind... | Miguel de Cervantes |
| Más vale prevenir que curar. | It’s better to prevent than to cure. | Popular Saying |
| A buen hambre no hay pan duro. | To a good hunger, there is no hard bread. | Popular Saying |
| Del dicho al hecho hay un buen trecho. | From saying to doing, there’s a long stretch. | Popular Saying |
| No hay mal que por bien no venga. | There is no bad from which good doesn’t come. | Popular Saying |
| Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente. | What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t feel. | Popular Saying |
| El hábito no hace al monje. | The habit doesn’t make the monk. | Popular Saying |
| Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. | Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are. | Popular Saying |
| Donde hay amor, hay dolor. | Where there is love, there is pain. | Popular Saying |
| Nadie es profeta en su tierra. | No one is a prophet in their own land. | Biblical / Popular Saying |
| La pluma es la lengua del alma. | The pen (lit: quill) is the tongue of the soul. | Miguel de Cervantes |
| El sabio no dice lo que sabe, y el necio no sabe lo que dice. | The wise man doesn’t say what he knows, and the fool doesn’t know what he says. | Popular Saying |
| Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno. | What’s good, if brief, is twice as good. | Baltasar Gracián |
| Cuando el río suena, agua lleva. | When the river makes noise, it carries water. | Popular Saying |
| Haz bien y no mires a quién. | Do good, and don’t look at whom. | Popular Saying |
| La envidia es mil veces más terrible que el hambre. | Envy is a thousand times more terrible than hunger. | Miguel de Unamuno |
| La libertad no hace felices a los hombres, los hace, sencillamente, hombres. | Freedom doesn’t make men happy; it simply makes them men. | Manuel Azaña |
“Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.” – Antonio Machado
This is a line from Antonio Machado's poem Proverbios y cantares. It speaks to the nature of life as a journey.
Rather than a predetermined route, we can create meaning and direction through our choices and actions.
A powerful metaphor.
English Translation
“Traveller, there is no path; the path is made by walking.”
Spanish sayings are packed with everyday vocabulary, rhythm, and cultural insight. Learning them is both fun and practical.
“El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.” – Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes is the famed author of Don Quijote. This quote is a perfect example of what we call today "book smarts" and "street smarts."
It suggests that learning occurs through study and experience and that we should be curious, observant, and open to learning from diverse sources.
English Translation
“He who reads much and travels much, sees much and knows much.”
“La vida es sueño, y los sueños, sueños son.” – Pedro Calderón de la Barca
This is from La vida es sueño, one of the most famous plays from Spain's Golden Age. This is a reflection on the nature of existence, which blends themes of reality, illusion, and destiny.
The meaning of this expression is still resonant today. Life is fleeting and unpredictable, so value each moment while also being inquisitive.
English Translation
“Life is a dream, and dreams are only dreams.”
Quotes are a useful introduction to the Spanish language as they'll give you a better idea of vocabulary and also the different Spanish-speaking cultures around the world.
“En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme...” – Miguel de Cervantes
Another famous quote from Miguel de Cervantes. This is one of the most famous quotes, especially for those who've read Spanish literature or translations of it.
This is the opening line from Don Quijote de la Mancha, and it's regularly quoted when discussing literature, language learning, and cultural heritage.
This line sets the tone for Cervantes' masterpiece, which is a blend of wit, mystery, and storytelling.
English Translation
“In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind...”
“Más vale prevenir que curar.” – Popular Saying
This is a common Spanish proverb, and it's used in Spain and around the Spanish-speaking world.
This is the Spanish equivalent to “better safe than sorry” or, directly“, prevention is better than cure”.
Whether it's health, finance, or relationships, this expression is about being proactive rather than reactive.
English Translation
“It’s better to prevent than to cure.”
“A buen hambre no hay pan duro.” – Popular Saying
This is another Spanish proverb or saying. It means that even bad or uncomfortable things can be good, acceptable, or useful in the right situation.
There isn't a good English equivalent, but it's similar to "Beggars can't be choosers", but this common saying across Spain and Latin America is certainly more pragmatic and less judgmental.
English Translation
“To a good hunger, there is no hard bread.”
Quotes can also be a useful way to learn about how Spanish is pronounced. Everyday sayings will appear in movies, series, and even plays.
“Del dicho al hecho hay un buen trecho.” – Popular Saying
This Spanish proverb is great because, like many Spanish proverbs, it rhymes. It is like the English expression "Easier said than done" and highlights the gap between words and actions.
It's an excellent example of the Spanish language's rhythm and style, with something meaningful and memorable.
English Translation
“From saying to doing, there’s a long stretch.”
“No hay mal que por bien no venga.” – Popular Saying
A classic Spanish saying about being optimistic in adversity. You can say it when something unfortunate happens to express the hope that there'll be something good out of it.
Like the English "Every cloud has a silver lining", it's a good expression to learn for your vocabulary.
English Translation
“There is no bad from which good doesn’t come.”
“Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente.” – Popular Saying
In English, we say, "Ignorance is bliss". The Spanish language has a similar saying commonly used in Spain and Latin America, particularly in matters of love.
However, unlike the English expression, this one is far more closely used for talking about romance and relationships.
English Translation
“What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t feel.”
While English says “Ignorance is bliss,” Spanish leans romantic with “What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t feel.” Similar, yet different!
Though heartbreak isn't unique to Spanish, you'll see a lot of similar ideas in neighbouring languages, particularly Portuguese, which shares a lot of vocabulary with Spanish, but is a completely different language.
“El hábito no hace al monje.” – Popular Saying
Don't judge a book by its cover in any language. The Spanish equivalent of this expression uses the visual metaphor of a monk and their “habit”, the traditional clothing worn by monks and nuns.
English Translation
“The habit doesn’t make the monk.”
“Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.” – Popular Saying
This Spanish saying is about the company you keep. You could compare it to “Birds of a feather flock together” or simply “A man is judged by the company he keeps”. That said, it's much more poetic in Spanish.
English Translation
Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
“Donde hay amor, hay dolor.” – Popular Saying
If you thought the Spanish language was romantic, this one is about the idea that “Love hurts”.
This is a simple phrase and a great one for Spanish language learners. Expressions can be complicated, but this is a beautifully simple one.
English Translation
“Where there is love, there is pain.”
“Nadie es profeta en su tierra.” – Popular Saying
This isn't a Spanish proverb but rather a quote from the Bible (Luke 4:24). However, it's one that, like many Bible quotes in English, has made its way into everyday use.
It's the idea that people's talents or achievements are unrecognised by those closest to them.
English Translation
“No one is a prophet in their own land.”
Remember that Spanish is the language, and while language and culture are closely related, not everybody in Spain speaks the same language. For example, Spanish and Catalan are two different languages and not just dialects of the same language, as we've heard some people believe.
“La pluma es la lengua del alma.” – Miguel de Cervantes
Another beautiful Spanish quote from Miguel de Cervantes. There's a reason he is to Spanish what Shakespeare is to the English language or Molière is to the French language.
This quote discusses the power of writing to express inner truths. Like many famous sayings, it shows that language is more than just communication.
English Translation
“The pen (lit: quill) is the tongue of the soul.”
“El sabio no dice lo que sabe, y el necio no sabe lo que dice.” – Popular Saying
If the pen is the tongue of the soul, whoever came up with this one had a very sharp pen. This Spanish proverb implies that wise people are more reserved, while fools are loud.
It's a wonderful phrase to mull over and a reflective expression in Spanish. It likely originated or evolved from the Bible verse, "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue".
English Translation
“The wise man doesn’t say what he knows, and the fool doesn’t know what he says.”
native speakers.
“Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno.” – Baltasar Gracián
This is a Spanish quote from the 17th-century writer and philosopher Baltasar Gracián. It's like our expression "less is more", and for language learners, it's a good reminder that even short sentences can carry a lot of meaning.
English Translation
“What’s good, if brief, is twice as good.”
Spanish literature uses a lot of meaningful statements. If you read some older words, you can even see how Spanish has changed over time.
“Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.” – Popular Saying
In English, we might say, "Where there's smoke, there's fire", to indicate (sometimes wrongly) that there's never gossip or rumours that don't have some truth behind them.
This one, like the English equivalent, is fairly visual and a nice way to jazz up your Spanish.
English Translation
“When the river makes noise, it carries water.”
“Haz bien y no mires a quién.” – Popular Saying
This Spanish proverb is about being kind and not thinking too much about it. You should do good for others just because.
For language learners, it's a good example of how culture and language are fairly inseparable, especially once you meet lovely people in Spanish-speaking communities and begin to understand why they have such expressions.
English Translation
“Do good, and don’t look at whom.”
Proverbs tend to reflect the people who speak a given language and many of these quotes and proverbs are a gateway into the relationship between the Spanish language and culture.
“La envidia es mil veces más terrible que el hambre.” – Miguel de Unamuno
This is a Spanish-language quote from the philosopher and writer Miguel de Unamuno. It's about envy and its destructive nature, comparing it to hunger.
English Translation
“Envy is a thousand times more terrible than hunger.”
“La libertad no hace felices a los hombres, los hace, sencillamente, hombres.” – Manuel Azaña
This Spanish quote is from the intellectual and politician Manuel Azaña. It's an excellent quote for anyone learning Spanish about the inalienable nature of freedom and is a fantastically reflective quote.
English Translation
“Freedom doesn’t make men happy; it simply makes them men.”
If you'd like to use these expressions, you'll first have to get your Spanish to a level you can use them when travelling.
To get started, consider working with a private tutor. Just search for "Spanish" on the Superprof website, and you can start browsing the profiles of potential tutors. You might also consider Spanish classes in London if you're in the Sydney area.
With many offering the first session for free, you can try a few before choosing the one that's right for you.
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Great site that stimulates the desire to know more. Post Covid I would love to visit Spain and South America.