Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.»
Word for word
When one door closes, another opens.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: When one door closes, another opens.
Used to encourage someone after a setback or loss, reminding them that new opportunities will arise. Very common in everyday consolation and motivational contexts.
Hear it in a sentence
Perdiste el trabajo, pero cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.
You lost your job, but when one door closes, another opens.
More Spanish sayings
- No hay mal que por bien no venga. — Every cloud has a silver lining.
- El que tiene padrino se bautiza. — It's not what you know, it's who you know.
- No hay mal que dure cien años. — Troubles don't last forever.
- Un clavo saca otro clavo. — One nail drives out another.
- La paciencia todo lo alcanza. — Patience achieves everything.
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.