Venezuelan Proverbs

* "A curtir cuero a Carora"
o Translation: Go tan leather at Carora.
o Interpretation: It's a way to say "Piss off!"
* "A Dios rogando y con el mazo dando"
o Translation: Praying to God but striking with the mallet
o Interpretation: Pray to God but also do your part (work for it).
* "A lo hecho, pecho"
o Literal Translation: To what's done chest!
o Interpretation: When something is done and it's irreversible you have to face it with courage.
* "A santos viejos no se les prenden velas" or "Santo viejo no hace milagro"
o Translation:"Old saints doesn't make any miracles"
o Use: it's used in situations like when somebody has a new friend and doesn't pay attention to his old friends.
* "Amanecerá y veremos"
o Translation: "By sunrise we will see (what to do)"
o Interpretation: To expect the result of a problem.
* "Amor con hambre no dura"
o Translation: Hungry love doesn't last.
o Interpretation: To have a healthy relationship love is not the only element needed, a good economical situation is important too.
* Árbol que nace torcido, jamás su tronco endereza.
o Translation: A tree born bent will never straighten it's log.
o Interpretation: It's hard to change somebody's habits.
o Equivalent English proverb: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."


* "Buscarle las cinco patas al gato"
o Translation: looking for the cat's fifth leg.
o Interpretation: To look for problems when there's nothing wrong.
* "Cachicamo diciéndole a morrocoy conchúo"
o Translation: A turtle calling armadillo "hard back".
o Interpretation: When somebody has an specific condition and criticizes the others for the same.
* "A llorar al valle"
o Translation: (Go) cry to the valley.
o Interpretation: What's done is done, can't be fixed.
* "Cada ladrón juzga por su condición"
o Translation: Each thief judges by his condition.
o Interpretation: People use to judge the others based on their own personal experiences, subjectively.


* "Cuando el río suena es porque piedras trae"
o Translation: When the river makes noise it's because it's carrying rocks.
o Interpretation: When there's a rumor some of it could be true.
* "El buen hijo vuelve a casa y cuenta lo que le pasa"
o Translation: A good son returns home and tells what happens.
* El muchacho que es llorón y la 'mae' que lo pellizca.
o Translation: The boy cries and his mother pinches him.
o Interpretation: When things are bad and someone makes it worse.
* "El que se casa, casa quiere" (it rhymes in spanish)
o Translation: Whoever gets married, wants to get a house.



* A buen hambre no hay pan duro.
o Translation: For a great hunger, there's no hard bread.
* "El que a buen palo se arrima, buena sombra le cobija"
o Translation: Whoever leans against a good tree, gets a good shade (to rest).
o Interpretations: Having good friends/contacts is a good shield in case of problems.
* "El que con niños se acuesta, amanece mojado"
o Translation: Whoever who sleeps with children wakes up all wet.
o Interpretation: Messing with kids is always a bad idea.
* "El que escupe para arriba, le cae la saliva en la cara".
o Translation: Whoever spits up, spit falls on his face.



* "El que trabaja, no come paja"
o Translation: Those who work don't eat straw.
o Interpretation: Those who work can satisfy their needs and luxuries.
* "Está como cucaracha en baile de gallinas"
o Translation: Like a roach in a chicken's party.
o Interpretation: Someone who is in the wrong/dangerous place. (chickens eat roaches and all kind of bugs).
* "Está como culo de foca"
o Translation: It's like a seal's ass.
o Interpretation: Something or someone that is really cold.
* "Como gallina que mira sal"
o Translation: Like a chicken staring at salt.
o Interpretation: Missed.
* "Está como una hallaquita mal amarrada"
o Translation: Like a badly tied "hallaca" (Venezuelan tamal).
o Interpretation: This is used to describe a person who is dressed ridiculously, especially used for women.
* ¡Eramos muchos y parió la abuela!
o Translation: We were many, and grandma gave birth!
o Interpretation: Things were wrong, and now are worse..
* "Hijo de gato caza ratón"
o Translation: The cat's son hunts mice.
o Interpretation: Children resemble their parents.
* La cruz en el pecho y el diablo en el hecho.
o Translation: The cross in the chest, but the devil in the facts.
o Interpretation: People who are evil or double faced and seems to be very religious.
* "Más difícil que matar un burro a pellizcos"
o Translation: Harder than killing a donkey pinching it.
* Más largo que un peo de culebra.
o Translation: Longer than a snake's fart.
* "Niño que nace barrigón, ni que lo fajen chiquito"
o Translation: Children born fat, won't change even if girdled since childhood.
o Interpretation: Old habits are hard to break.
* "No hay mal que dure cien años, ni cuerpo que lo resista"
o Translation: There's no illness that lasts one hundred years, or body that can resist it.
o Interpretation: A problem can't last forever, or else it's not a problem.
* "Pájaro de mar por tierra, tempestad segura o gran novedad"
o Translation: Sea bird by solid ground!, storm coming ahead!
o Interpretation: It's used when a strange situation happens or somebody shows up after a long time.
* "Sabe más que pescado frito"
o Translation: Knows more than fried fish.
o Interpretation: This proverb plays with words, because verb "saber" means knowing and tasting, a fried fish is very tasty and smelly, but the proverb "saber" refers to knowing about something.
* "Se murió y no se ha dado cuenta"
o Translation: He died and didn't noticed.
o Interpretation: Used when somebody is really skinny or looks really bad.
* "Y el turco atrás"
o Translation: And the Turk is chasing (him/her).
o Interpretation: Used to point at a cheater, defaulter or slow-payer. Refers to turkish because in Venezuela the first peddlers were arabs (and arabs from any country are very often called turks in Venezuela), so this arab peddlers used to pursue their debtors.
* Hierba mala nunca muere.
o Translation: Bad weeds never die.
o Interpretation: Bad people or situations seems to be harder to get rid of.
* Como palo de gallinero.
o Translation:Like a hen-house board. (Full of excrement).
o Interpretation: Someone very scared.
* "Chivo que rompe tambor con su pellejo lo paga"
o Translation: Goat that tears a drum pays with its own hide.
o Interpretation: Fool people get in situations that just hurt themselves.
* "Crea fama y acuestate a dormir"
o Translation: Earn fame and go to sleep.
o Interpretation: When somebody has a good reputation or good fame, don't needs to work harder any more to be well judged.
* Tiene mas dientes que una pelea de perros.
o Translation: Has more teeth than a dog fight.
o Interpretation: To describe a person with ugly teeth.
* Pasando mas hambre que garrapata en peluche.
o Translation: Hungrier than a tick on a stuffed toy.
* Camarón que se duerme...se lo lleva la corriente.
o Translation: A shrimp that falls asleep is swept by the current.
o Interpretation: Be aware or you'll be swept away.
* Tira la piedra y esconde la mano.
o Translation: Throws the rock, and hides his/her hand.
o Interpretation: To be deceitful.
* A quien madruga dios lo ayuda.
o Translation:Early risers are helped by god.
o Interpretation: Those who get up early can take more advantage of a day than those who don't.
o Equivalent English proverb: "The early bird gets the worm."
* El pez muere por la boca.
o Translation: The fish dies by its mouth.
o Interpretation: People sometimes is victim of their own words.
* Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente.
o Translation: Eyes that don't see, heart that doesn't feel.
o Interpretation: If you don't see something happen, you never feel sorry for it. (often used for cheated people).
* Cuando veas las barbas de tu vecino arder...mete la tuya en remojo.
o Translation: When you see your neighbor's beard burns, soak yours.
o Interpretation: When danger is near, be aware!
* La mona aunque se vista de seda, mona se queda.
o Translation: A monkey, even dressed in silk is still a monkey.
o Interpretation: Used when somebody acts like somebody else, or tries hard to be what he/she is not. (lack of manners).
* Pensando en pajaritos preña'os
o Translation: Thinking about pregnant birds.
o Interpretation: To be distracted.
* El que rompe viejo, paga nuevo.
o Translation: The one who breaks old (things), pay new (things).
* Amor de lejos, amor de pendejos.
o Translation: Lovers (who are) far away (from each other), are fool lovers.