Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«A la tercera va la vencida.»
Word for word
On the third [try] goes the winning one.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Third time's the charm.
Said to encourage someone on their third attempt at something, or when a third try finally succeeds. Very common in Spain and Latin America.
Hear it in a sentence
Fallé dos veces, pero a la tercera va la vencida; ahora sí lo logré.
I failed twice, but third time's the charm; now I finally did it.
More Spanish sayings
- Más vale caer en gracia que ser gracioso. — It's better to be liked than to be clever.
- No hay dos sin tres. — Things come in threes.
- Más vale tarde que nunca. — Better late than never.
- A lo hecho, pecho. — What's done is done.
- Cuando las ranas críen pelo. — When pigs fly.
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 level.