Spanish Proverbs About Life

According to a comprehensive report from Worldway: The Spanish people have a great love for life, and their various proverbs and idioms are rich and colorful, with many resembling Chinese proverbs. Gorky once said: "Proverbs and idioms are always brief, yet they contain the thoughts and feelings of an entire book." Ordinary people such as farmers, fishermen, artists, priests, and street vendors have naturally and cleverly integrated their insights into life into concise and refined proverbs in their daily lives. The essence of this knowledge has become a spiritual guide for the thoughts and actions of contemporary people, encouraging us to work hard and persevere on the bumpy road of life. Worldway immigration experts note that in the Spanish language, there are also proverbs about life that guide us to act with diligence and caution, and teach us to cherish our youth and make good friends.

I. On Diligence: Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves

There is a Chinese saying: "Heaven never lets down those who work hard." In the minds of the Chinese, "Heaven" occupies a supreme position, and even the emperor could only be called the "Son of Heaven." "Heaven" has the power to dominate the world and represents an objective order and law that does not change according to individual will. The people who will not be shortchanged by Heaven in the proverbs are the "hard-working people," that is, those who are working diligently. This is not so much that they believe in fate, but rather that they value their own sweat and effort more. Diligence has always been a fine traditional virtue in China. In production, no matter how harsh the natural conditions are, people firmly believe in the principle that "the land is not lazy if the person is not lazy"; in distribution, there is the underlying rule of "more work, more pay; those who do not work shall not eat." Corresponding to "diligence breeds a hundred skills" is "laziness breeds a hundred diseases." Lazy people are often criticized; men are contemptuously called "lazybones," women are "lazy housewives," and those descendants who sit idle and consume their inheritance are "prodigal sons." Pies will not fall from the sky; only by relying on diligent hands can people turn loess and crops into fragrant white rice.;

Laziness is equally unwelcome among the Spanish. There is a very concise proverb here: Ocioso, vicioso (Idleness = vice). Laziness is the fuse that triggers poverty, such as: Pereza no es pobreza, pero por ahí se empieza. (Laziness is not poverty, but it is the beginning of poverty). Similar in meaning is: Viaja la pereza con tan lentitud, que la alcanza la pobreza con gran prontitud. (Laziness travels so slowly that poverty overtakes it very quickly). The story of the shepherd tells us that laziness will not only result in nothing, but worse, it will bring losses, such as: El pastor dormido, y el ganado en el trigo. (The shepherd is asleep, and the herd is eating the wheat). Conversely, diligence and thrift are better than winning the lottery, such as: No hay mejor lotería que el trabajo y la economía. (There is no better lottery than work and economy). For the diligent, God will also extend a helping hand: Al que madruga Dios le ayuda. This is the Spanish version of "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

II. On Perseverance: Rope Saws Through Wood, Water Drips Through Stone

In China, almost all great works or figures are inseparable from the spirit of perseverance, such as the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, the "Sage of Calligraphy" Wang Xizhi, Xuanzang who traveled to the West to obtain scriptures, Zheng He who made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, the 25,000-li Long March, and the eight-year War of Resistance... all are true portrayals of "perseverance can carve metal and stone" and "as long as you work hard enough, an iron pestle can be ground into a needle." The Chinese generally believe that "favorable weather is not as good as favorable terrain, and favorable terrain is not as good as human harmony." "People" have initiative in the process of transforming nature and are in an active position. Therefore, as long as people respect objective laws and persevere, they will always achieve success. There are many similar idioms, such as "rope saws through wood, water drips through stone," "nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their mind to it," "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," and "accumulating sand into a tower, accumulating water into a river."

It is precisely because of this spirit of perseverance that Spain was able to expel the Moors after centuries of struggle, and it was also by relying on this spirit that they conquered the vast Atlantic Ocean, thereby achieving the historical feat of discovering the New World. Proverbs containing the meaning of forging ahead and being tenacious and brave are thought-provoking and inspiring. For example: No se ganó Zamora en una hora, ni Roma se fundó luego toda. This means "Zamora[1] was not conquered in an hour, nor was Rome built in a day." La gota cava piedra. (Water drips through stone). Poco a poco se va lejos. (A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step). Por poco se empieza. (Small steps lead to great distances). Querer es poder. (Where there is a will, there is a way), etc.

III. On Prudence: Think Thrice Before You Act

The idiom "prudence in speech and action" refers to being careful in words and deeds. Speaking too much inevitably invites resentment from others and easily exposes one's own shortcomings, making people feel that the person is just bragging without real talent; acting recklessly and behaving unscrupulously is not only ineffective but also a sign of a lack of upbringing. Such proverbs include "boiling water does not make noise, noisy water does not boil," which uses physical phenomena to metaphorically suggest that people with real talent rarely boast, while those with no substance show off everywhere. "A true gentleman does not speak while watching chess" links "prudence in speech" with gentlemanly conduct, all because people believe that "too much talk leads to mistakes." In terms of behavior, "think thrice before you act" warns people to think comprehensively and fully before doing things and not to act rashly. "A miss is as good as a mile" speaks of how tiny errors can lead to huge losses, reminding people to pay attention to details. We can also include "do not tie your shoes in a melon field, do not adjust your hat under a plum tree," which specifically refers to being careful about one's words and actions in situations that are prone to misunderstanding, so as to avoid suspicion and unnecessary trouble.

Although the general impression of people in Spanish-speaking countries is that they are talkative, interestingly, in Spanish, the word "hablador/a" specifically refers to those who are chattering and gossiping, which carries a derogatory connotation. A proverb with the same meaning as "too much talk leads to mistakes" is: Quien mucho habla mucho yerra. In addition, there are many proverbs that vividly illustrate the importance of prudence through metaphors. For example, Por la boca muere el pez and La perdiz por el pico se pierde la vida both speak of "trouble coming from the mouth." And Donde va más hondo el río, hace menos ruido is almost identical to the Chinese "still waters run deep"; quiet river water, seemingly weak, is unfathomable, while conversely, those turbulent and rapid river sections lack depth and substance. Similar meanings include: Poco hablar es oro, mucho hablar es lodo. (Little talk is gold, much talk is mud) and Más vale callar que mal hablar. (Better to be silent than to speak poorly).

IV. On Friendship: Friends Are Wealth

We usually say "rely on parents at home, rely on friends when away." A person cannot stay at home forever, let alone rely on their parents for a lifetime. No matter how capable a person is, it is impossible not to ask for help. The saying "a fence needs three stakes, a hero needs three helpers" explains this truth. Friends are indispensable social resources in interactions. Friends have different interests and expertise, and interacting with them can broaden one's horizons and enrich one's emotions. When encountering difficulties, friends help each other, pull together, and overcome obstacles, so "more friends mean more paths." Of course, the more friends the better, but one should not make friends indiscriminately; "making friends requires sincerity," and those fair-weather friends are unreliable. "Clothes are better when new, friends are better when old"; long-term old friends are like a jar of aged fine wine, the more you savor it, the more fragrant it becomes.