The well-known phrases of life and reflection are important to analyze our life and its reason for being. Just as there are phrases in English and any other language, the Spanish language has a wealth of interesting life phrases that might change the way you think.
So this article is a good opportunity to introduce some of the famous Spanish quotes about life and understand them in the right context if you are learning a new language.
Phrases written in Spanish may seem to have a meaning but in reality, they are talking about something very different (sayings, especially), which is why, in addition to reading or translating a phrase, it is necessary to put it in the proper context so as not to fall into misinterpretations.
However, we assure you that the first moment you read most of the sentences, you will understand their point and what message it wants to convey to us.
Discovering these Spanish phrases offers you a chance to learn new words, expanding and enriching your vocabulary. We warmly invite you to explore these delightful Spanish quotes about life and continue your language-learning journey through this engaging reading.
Let’s dive into these charming Spanish quotes about life!
DID YOU KNOW…?
Many Spanish quotes about life have their roots in the rich history of Spanish literature, with famous Romantic Spanish Poems and Sayings from authors like Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, and Federico García Lorca.
Known Quotes Translated to Spanish
Many of these sayings have been recounted over time in the language by different famous people, writers, poets, journalists, and others who transcended through the words written in various textual works.
Enhance your appreciation of these familiar quotes by exploring their Spanish translations. Deepen your understanding with these well-known English quotes, now beautifully rendered in Spanish:
1. “En la vida, a veces se gana y otras veces se pierde.”
In life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. – John Maxwell
This sentence may be said by anyone: a father, a friend, a grandfather, or a son, and it represents an intention of the author to see things positively even in adversity.
2. “No encuentres la falta, encuentra el remedio.”
Don’t find the fault, find the remedy. – Henry Ford
Whether it is necessary to find the reason for the problem, don’t stay at the source of the problem, try to find all the ways to solve it.
3. “El pesimista se queja del viento, el optimista espera que este cambie, pero el realista ajusta las velas.”
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change, but the realist adjusts the sails. – William Ward
Pessimism and optimism are not bad human traits, but being excessive can cause problems that are often easy to solve. A realistic person tries to solve his problems, no matter how complicated they are and regardless he can solve them or not.
4. “Si quieres algo que nunca tuviste, debes hacer algo que nunca hiciste.”
If you want something you never had, you must do something you never did. – Anonymous
This phrase is similar to that of Albert Einstein, who mentions “If you want different results, don’t always do the same”. It is clear that to seek change, it is necessary to generate that change by yourself.
Let’s check out some of the most popular words in Spanish quotes about life! Here’s a list of words that are likely to be found in any Spanish quotes, so learning them will help you understand the quotes easier.
| Spanish | English Equivalent |
| Sabiduría | Wisdom |
| Conocimiento | Knowledge |
| Ignorancia | Ignorance |
| Éxito | Success |
| Perseverancia | Perseverance |
| Mutuo Acuerdo | Mutual agreement |
| Autoconocimiento | Self-knowledge |
| Iluminación | Lightning |
| Determinación | Determination |
| Adversidad | Adversity |
Best Spanish Quotes About Life
We’re going to introduce you to the best inspirational quotes in Spanish, straight from the hearts of notable Spanish speakers! These authors, writers, and influential figures from the Hispanic world have left an indelible mark on the literary culture.
Dive into these motivational quotes about life, designed to spark reflection and reshape your perspective. Check out these thought-provoking Spanish quotes and their meanings below:
- “Escribe lo que no debe ser olvidado.” – Write what should not be forgotten. – Isabel Allende.
The Chilean author gives us a clear message about the importance of giving our memories the best moments of our lives. But also, when she says “escribe” she is not only referring to not forgetting them but to creating them.
- “No hables a menos que puedas mejorar el silencio.” – Don’t speak unless you can improve the silence. – Jorge Luis Borges.
This Argentine writer recommends we remain silent if the moment requires it, instead of speaking up and ruining or worsening an already uncomfortable situation.
- “No puede acabar lo que es eterno, ni puede tener fin la inmensidad.” – What is eternal cannot finish, nor can the immensity have an end. – Rosalia de Castro.
It is a clear romantic message from this Spanish artist, which is part of a stanza for a lyrical composition that speaks of the freedom of the human being, so we can see this message in a metaphorical way that tells us that the limit of living is set by yourself.
- “El amor nunca trae algo bueno. El amor siempre trae algo mejor.” – Love never brings anything good. Love always brings something better. – Roberto Bolaño.
Love has no limits and is always better than you think it is, just as loving will guarantee you to be loved better than you expect. This is what this Chilean writer wants to express.
- “No llores porque terminó, sonríe porque sucedió.” – Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. – Gabriel García Marquez.
The Colombian writer, Nobel Prize for Literature, tells us that there is a positive way to see something that in your mind is negative.
QUICK NOTE…
Some Spanish quotes about life originate from famous proverbs or “refranes,” reflecting centuries of cultural wisdom passed down through generations.
In addition to the previous motivational quotes, other quotes in Spanish said by Latin American writers are the following:
- “Hombres necios que acusan a la mujer sin razón sin ver que son la ocasión de lo mismo que culpan.” – Foolish men who accuse women with no reason without seeing that they are the cause of the same thing they blame. – Juana Inés de la Cruz.
- “El amor no se piensa, se siente o no se siente.” – Love is not thought, you feel it or you don’t. – Laura Esquivel.
- “Pueden cortar las flores, pero no detener la primavera.” – They can cut the flowers, but they can’t stop the spring. – Pablo Neruda.
Spanish Sayings About Life
Sayings are always more complex to understand but at the same time more fascinating to analyze. Many of them also talk about reflections on life and that is why we want to show you a list of Sayings or quotes in Spanish about life.
The most interesting thing about proverbs, and why it is one of the reasons why it can be difficult for a foreigner to understand them, is that their complete structure is not always written, being written colloquially and as summarized as possible.
Do you want to learn about these phrases and their meaning? Check out some of them below:
1. “No dejes para mañana lo que podrías hacer hoy”
English saying (Literal translation): Don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today.
Meaning: This saying talks about not procrastinating.
2. “Mejor solo que mal acompañado”
English saying (Literal translation): Better alone than in bad company.
Meaning: Not always does the company of a person makes you feel better, and sometimes even being alone is more relaxing.
3. “Mucho ruido y pocas nueces”
English saying (Literal translation): Much ado about nothing.
Meaning: Although in English this phrase differs from Spanish (which would literally mean “A lot of noise and very few nuts”), both refer to paying attention to something that is not really important.
The sayings are not only creative proverbs that show different life situations but also serve as a reflection that can change the thinking of those who listen to them and feel identified with one of them.
4. “A caballo regalado no se le mira colmillo”
English saying (Literal translation): Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Meaning: In Spanish, the saying is almost the same as: “When you have a gift horse, don’t look at its fang.”
Any gift that another person gives us is sufficient reason to appreciate it with an immeasurable value, and it is impolite to be interested in knowing its quality or price.
5. “A lo hecho, pecho”
English saying (Literal translation): What’s done it’s done.
Meaning: “pecho” means chest, which refers to facing the situation of adversity caused by you.
6. “De tal palo, tal astilla”
English saying (Literal translation): “Like father Like Son.”
Meaning: A close translation of this saying in English would be “A chip off the old block”. It is used to highlight the physical similarity between a parent and a child.
Structure Of Some Spanish Quotes About Life
| Spanish sayings | Subject | Predicate | English translation or Meaning (red: subject ; blue: predicate) |
| “Un buen viajante no tiene ni planes fijos ni la intención de llegar” | Un buen viajante | no tiene ni planes fijos ni la intención de llegar. | A good traveler has neither fixed plans nor the intention of arriving. |
| “El punto de salida hacia todo logro es el deseo” | El punto de salida hacia todo logro | es el deseo | The starting point for all achievement is desire. |
| “El pesimismo lleva a la debilidad. El optimismo, al poder” | El pesimismo / El optimismo | lleva a la debilidad / al poder | Pessimism leads to weakness. Optimism, to power |
| “La acción expresa prioridades” | La acción | expresa prioridades | Action expresses priorities |
| “El propósito de la vida es ser felices” | El propósito de la vida | es ser felices | The purpose of our lives is to be happy |
| “Los grandes resultados requieren grandes ambiciones” | Los grandes resultados | requieren grandes ambiciones | Big results require big ambitions |
| “Nos convertimos en lo que pensamos” | Nosotros — (tacit) | Nos convertimos en lo que pensamos | We become what we think |
Thanks to the brevity of a sentence, it is possible to identify its two-membered structure almost immediately and know what its subject and predicate are, as we saw in the previous table.
Within sentences in Spanish, many times the biggest obstacle for an English-speaking person trying to identify the subject of a sentence is that they cannot see it anywhere, because it is not written: “Me muero. Pueden hablar de mí pero no a mis espaldas.” which means “I’m dying. They can talk about me but not to my back”.
The sentence in Spanish does not mention the two subjects in question: “I am dying” and “They can talk about me but not behind my back” where “I” and “They” disappear, as it is not necessary for the idiosyncrasy of the language Spanish.
If they were included, you know the sentence would be “Yo Me muero. Ellos Pueden hablar de mi pero no a mis espaldas.” This is called a tacit word, which is assumed to be part of the sentence without being included verbatim.
Best Spanish quotes about life that will improve your mood
• “Nunca es demasiado tarde para una segunda oportunidad en la vida.”
It’s never too late for a second chance at life.
Don’t lose faith and don’t think that the age to be a better or a successful person has come to an end. It is never too late to try.
• “Hoy es el primer día del resto de la vida.”
Today is the first day of the rest of (your) life.
This is a motivational phrase that suggests that your life of success is just beginning and that you have from now on all your life to fulfill your dreams.
• “La vida es una aventura que tenemos el privilegio de disfrutar.”
Life is an adventure that we are privileged to enjoy.
You have to eliminate negative thoughts about life since there are many ways to take advantage of it and live to the fullest.
• “La vida es bella.”
Life is beautiful.
This is a very famous movie’s name. “La vida es bella” is the translation of “La vita e bella”, the original name of the Italian film.
This film talks about the happiness (la felicidad) and love of a father for life and for his son, who, in the middle of a war, helps him survive without him even knowing what was happening around him.
The sayings are not only creative proverbs that show different life situations but also serve as a reflection that can change the thinking of those who listen to them and feel identified with one of them.
Quick Spanish quotes to learn
- “El éxito llega gracias a la felicidad.” (Success comes thanks to happiness)
- “Los días pueden ser iguales para un reloj, mas no para un hombre.” (The days can be the same for a watch, but not for a man.)
- “Cualquier sitio o lugar, es posible.” (Any site or place is possible.)
- “Si puedes soñarlo, puedes lograrlo.” (If you can dream it you can do it.)
- “Eres un hombre, haz lo que debas hacer.” (You’re a man, do what you gotta do)
- “Solo aquellos que se arriesgan a ir muy lejos pueden descubrir cuán lejos que pueden llegar.” (Only those who risk going too far can discover how far they can go.)
- “No hay mal que dure 100 años.” (There is no evil that lasts 100 years)
- “Lo importante es no dejar de hacer la pregunta que requieras hacer.” (The important thing is not to stop asking the question that you need to ask)
- “Enamórate de ti.” (Fall in love with you)
- “A los bobos no les dura el dinero.” (Fools don’t last money)
A Final Reflection
You have known and learned the best Spanish quotes about life, proverbs, and many phrases for reflection that can help you learn more about Spanish and Hispanic literature. Many of these phrases are taken from the authors’ books or any textual property, such as poems, essays, songs, etc.
We hope you liked the phrases presented and the tips to practice your Spanish in general, your vocabulary and the grammar of this language, and thanks to SpanishVIP now you can know many quotes in Spanish and their meanings.
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