Hola ¿Cómo estáis?

Hoy vamos a ver unos modismos y refranes populares españoles. Today we will see some commonly used Spanish idioms and proverbs. I very much hope that you enjoy gaining a closer insight into these interesting aspects of the Spanish language.

An “Idiom” is a group of words with a meaning that is impossible to deduce solely from the individual words, such as “It’s raining cats and dogs”. Without a familiarity with the idiom you would have no idea what it meant. Idioms are a form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people.

A “Proverb” is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated to express a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures and you will recognise some similar proverbs and idioms in the list of Spanish proverbs and idioms I will provide here.

So let’s take a look. Please repeat after me to work on your Spanish pronunciation:

• De tal palo tal astilla: A chip off the old block
• Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente: Out of sight, out of mind
• Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito: Different strokes for different folks
• Dios los cría y ellos se juntan: Birds of a feather flock together
• Más vale tarde que nunca: Better late than never
• Quien calla otorga: Silence speaks volumes
• A rey muerto, rey puesto: Out with the old, in with the new
• Segundas partes nunca fueron buenas: A Spanish expression which means that the second part of anything is never better or as good as the first
• Es como hablar a la pared: It’s like talking to a brick wall
• Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• Como quien oye llover: It’s like water off a duck’s back
• A caballo regañado no le mires el diente: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
• No es oro todo lo que reluce: Not all that glitters is gold
• Las palabras se las lleva el viento: Actions speak louder than words
• Tanto monta, monta tanto: It’s as broad as it is long
• Siempre llueve sobre mojado: It never rains, it pours
• No por mucho madrugar, amanece más temprano: A Spanish expression which means everything will happen in its own time
• Mucho ruido y pocas nueces: All mouth and no trousers
• Tan cierto como dos y dos son cuatro: As sure as eggs
• Al hambre no hay pan duro: Beggars can’t be choosers
• Más vale maña que fuerza: Brain is better than brawn
• La prudencia es la madre de la ciencia: Discretion is the better part of valor
• El que la sigue la consigue: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
• El mundo es un pañuelo: It’s a small world
• Más vale estar sólo que mal acompañado: A Spanish expression which means solitude is better than bad company
• En boca cerrada no entran moscas: A Spanish expression which means that you are better off keeping quiet and minding your own business

Spanish speakers use proverbs and idioms a lot in everyday conversation. In my experience, we use them much more than most English speakers. I think they are really interesting and great fun to learn and to use.

They are also a great way to impress someone in conversation. If you can throw in a few timely Spanish proverbs or Spanish idioms here and there they are a clear indication that you have been doing your homework and have a good understanding and feel for the language.

So enjoy practicing with these new sentences and see you again next time with another Spanish video lesson.

¡Hasta pronto!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly Spanish lessons. Follow this link for many more great resources to help you learn Spanish.