40 Spanish Quotes and Proverbs with English Meaning

If you’re learning Spanish and looking for wise Spanish quotes about life, you have come to the right place! In this post, I have curated some of the best Spanish quotes and proverbs to help you. Like their English counterparts, Spanish quotes and proverbs also capture the wisdom of the ages with timeless advice about life. Here are some of my favorite Spanish quotes which inspire me.

Spanish Quotes

1. “El hábito no hace al monje.”
   The habit doesn’t make you a monk. (Habit is a type of dress generally worn by monks. But only habits does not automatically make one a righteous person. Instead, your attitude and behaviour with other makes also matter.)

2. “Borra con el codo lo que escribe con la mano.”
   “He erases with his elbow what he writes with his hand.” (His left hand doesn’t know what his right hand is doing.)

3. “El amor todo lo puede.”
   The love conquers all. (Love will find a way.)

4. “No hay que ahogarse en un vaso de agua.”
   It isn’t necessary to drown oneself in a glass of water. (Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Do not exaggerate a minor problem.)

5. “Dame pan y dime tonto.”
   Give me bread and call me a fool. (Think of me what you will. As long as I get what I want, it doesn’t matter what you think.)
6. “La cabra siempre tira al monte.”
   The goat always heads toward the mountain. ( Individuals always tend to follow their most primitive instincts or that were learned in childhood, without any second thoughts)
7. “A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar.”
   Drink and swallow, the world is going to end. (Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.)
8. “Algo es algo; menos es nada.”
   Something is something; less is nothing. (Something is always better than nothing. Half a loaf is better than none.)
9. “A los tontos no les dura el dinero.”
   Money does not last for fools. (A fool and his money are soon parted.)
10. “De músico, poeta y loco, todos tenemos un poco.”
    We all have a little bit of musician, poet and crazy person in ourselves. (We’re all a little bit crazy.)

Quotes in Spanish

11. “Al mejor escribano se le va un borrón.”
    To the best scribe comes a smudge. (Even the best of us make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.)
12. “A otro perro con ese hueso.”
    To another dog with that bone. (Tell that to someone who will believe you.)
13. “Desgracia compartida, menos sentida.”
    Shared misfortune, less sorrow. (Misery loves company.)
14. “No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy.”
    Don’t leave for tomorrow that which you can do today.
15. “Donde no hay harina, todo es mohina.”
    Where there’s no flour, everything is an annoyance. (Poverty breeds discontent. If your needs aren’t met, you won’t be happy.)
16. “Todos los caminos llevan a Roma.”
    All roads lead to Rome. (There’s more than one way to reach a goal. All actions have the same result.)
17. “La lengua no tiene hueso, pero corta lo más grueso.”
    The tongue doesn’t have a bone, but it cuts the thickest thing. (Words are more powerful than weapons.)
18. “El Hombre Que Se Levanta Es Aún Más Grande Que El Que No Ha Caído.”
    The man who stands up is greater than the one who hasn’t fallen. (People who are strong enough to pick themselves up after failure their life are greater than you never try.)
19. “No hay peor sordo que el que no quiere oír.”
    There is not a worse deaf person than the one who doesn’t want to hear. (There is none so blind as he who will not see.)
20. “No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo.”
    Don’t sell the bear’s hide before you hunt it. (Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.)

Spanish Quotes and Proverbs

21. “Qué bonito es ver la lluvia y no mojarse.”
    How nice it is to see the rain and not get wet. (Don’t criticize others for the way they do something unless you’ve done it yourself.)
22. “Nadie da palos de balde.”
    Nobody gives sticks for free. (You can’t get something for nothing. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.)
23. “Los árboles no están dejando ver el bosque.”
    The trees aren’t allowing one to see the forest. (You can’t see the forest for the trees.)
24. “El mundo es un pañuelo.”
    The world is a handkerchief. (It’s a small world.)
25. “Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente.”
    The shrimp that falls asleep is carried by the current. (Don’t let the world pass you by. Stay alert and be proactive. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel.)
26. “A lo hecho, pecho.”
    To what is done, the chest. (Face up to what is. What is done is done.)
27. “Nunca es tarde para aprender.”
    It never is late for learning. (It is never too late to learn.)
28. “A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín.”
    Every pig gets its San Martin. (What goes around comes around. You deserve what you get. San Martin refers to a traditional celebration in which a pig is sacrificed.)
29. “Consejo no pedido, consejo mal oído.”
    Advice not asked for, advice poorly heard. (Someone who doesn’t ask for advice doesn’t want to hear it. Don’t give advice unless you’re asked.)
30. “La Acción Es la Clave Fundamental para Todo Éxito”
    Action is the foundational key to all success. (Famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso Quote says – Karma is the key to your success in life.)

Inspirational Quotes in Spanish

31. “Gobernar es prever.”
    To govern is to foresee. (It is better to prevent problems than to fix them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.)
32. “No dejes camino viejo por sendero nuevo.”
    Don’t leave the old road for a new trail. (It’s better to stick with what works. A shortcut isn’t always quicker.)
33. “Donde hay humo, hay fuego.”
    Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
34. “La raíz de todos los males es el amor al dinero.”
    The root of all evils is love toward money. (Love of money is the root of all evil.)
35. “A falta de pan, tortillas.”
    Lack of bread, tortillas. (Make do with what you have. Half a loaf is better than none.)
36. “El amor es como el agua que no se seca.”
    Love is like water that never evaporates. (True love lasts forever.)
37. “El Tiempo Todo Lo Cura”
    Time Heals Everything (Like in English, Spanish people  also say that time is most powerful heals everything.)
38. “Si Actúas Como Si Supieras Lo Que Estás Haciendo, Puedes Hacer Lo Que Quieras.”
    If you act like you know what you’re doing, you can do whatever you want.  (Famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was trying to say here is – Fake it until you make it.)
39. “Obras son amores y no buenas razones.”
    Acts are love and good reasons aren’t. (Actions speak louder than words.)
40. “El Que No Arriesga, No Gana.”
    Nothing ventured nothing gained.  (He who doesn’t risk doesn’t gain anything)

Thank you for reading this. Over to you now. Which Spanish Quotes did you like in the above list? Please let us know your favorite Spanish Quotes in the comments section.

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