What a refrán is
A refrán is a complete sentence expressing a piece of general wisdom. It usually has two halves, often rhymes and has a strong rhythm, and frequently has no verb at all: Perro ladrador, poco mordedor. That sets it apart from an idiom, which is only part of a sentence.
Well-known refranes
| Refrán | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda. | The early bird catches the worm. |
| No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano. | You can't hurry things. |
| Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando. | A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| En casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo. | The cobbler's children go barefoot. |
| Perro ladrador, poco mordedor. | Barking dogs seldom bite. |
| Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente. | What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over. |
| Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. | A man is known by the company he keeps. |
Quoting half
In conversation the first half is often enough. The other person completes it in their head, and that is exactly what creates closeness. English does the same with speak of the devil… Spanish likes to introduce the proverb with ya lo dice el refrán or como dice el refrán.
Es fontanero y tiene el grifo goteando desde hace un mes. En casa del herrero…
He's a plumber and his tap has been dripping for a month. The cobbler's children, as they say.
The second half is left unsaid.
Tanto amenazar con demandarnos y al final nada. Ya lo dice el refrán: perro ladrador…
All those threats to sue us, and in the end nothing. Barking dogs, as the saying goes.
Twisting
Advertising, headlines and jokes thrive on twisted proverbs. The principle: the first part stays word for word so that everyone recognises the original. Then the second part breaks the expectation. Ideally the rhythm of the original survives.
New ending
A quien madruga… le entra sueño a las cinco.
The early bird… gets sleepy at five.
The wisdom is soberly refuted.
Ojos que no ven… farola que te comes.
Eyes that don't look… lamppost you walk into.
Taken literally, phone in hand.
Swapping words
En casa del informático, wifi que no funciona.
In the IT guy's house, the wifi doesn't work.
Same pattern, new professions.
Dime qué compras y te diré quién eres.
Tell me what you buy and I'll tell you who you are.
Typical of advertising.
Más vale un sí por escrito que cien promesas por WhatsApp.
One yes in writing is worth a hundred promises on WhatsApp.
The comparison Más vale… que… is kept.
Dropped in unchanged, proverbs can easily sound old-fashioned or preachy. Twisted, they sound witty and current. English works the same way: The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
