Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«A la ocasión la pintan calva.»
Word for word
Opportunity is painted bald.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Seize the moment when it comes.
Warns that opportunities are fleeting and must be grabbed immediately. It refers to the classical image of opportunity having hair only in front.
Hear it in a sentence
A la ocasión la pintan calva, así que acepta la oferta ahora mismo.
Seize the moment when it comes, so accept the offer right now.
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.