Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Cuando seas padre, comerás huevos.»
Word for word
When you are a father, you will eat eggs.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: You'll understand when you're older.
Said to someone too young or inexperienced to understand adult responsibilities or hardships. Often used humorously to dismiss naive opinions.
Hear it in a sentence
Ya lo entenderás; cuando seas padre, comerás huevos.
You'll understand later; when you're a father, you'll eat eggs.
More Spanish sayings
- Hijo eres, padre serás, lo que hiciste pagarás. — You reap what you sow with your children.
- Lo que no mata, engorda. — What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
- Quien mucho habla, poco dice. — Big talk, little substance.
- Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo. — With age comes wisdom.
- El que con lobos anda, a aullar se enseña. — He who keeps company with wolves will learn to howl.
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.