Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas cortar, pon las tuyas a remojar.»
¿Cómo se dice «Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas cortar, pon las tuyas a remojar» en inglés? Learn from others' mistakes before they happen to you.
Word for word
When you see your neighbor's beard being cut, put yours to soak.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Learn from others' mistakes before they happen to you.
Used to advise taking precautions when you see trouble affecting others nearby. Common in warnings about politics, health, or finances.
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Hear it in a sentence
Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas cortar, pon las tuyas a remojar; si a él lo despidieron, tú deberías prepararte.
Learn from others' mistakes before they happen to you; if they fired him, you should prepare yourself.
More Spanish sayings
- Hombre precavido vale por dos. — A cautious man is worth two.
- El que mucho habla, mucho yerra. — Talk too much, and you'll slip up.
- De los errores se aprende. — You learn from your mistakes.
- El que avisa no es traidor. — Fair warning is no betrayal.
- Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces. — Look before you leap.
More: Spanish sayings about life and wisdom
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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.