Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«A falta de pan, buenas son tortas.»
Word for word
In the absence of bread, flatbreads are good.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Beggars can’t be choosers.
Said when you make do with a decent substitute because the first choice isn’t available.
Hear it in a sentence
No quedaba café en casa, así que tomamos té: a falta de pan, buenas son tortas.
There was no coffee left at home, so we had tea — beggars can’t be choosers.
Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your exact level.