Dicho español · Spanish proverb

«El que a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija.»

Word for word

He who to a good tree leans, good shade shelters him.

What it really means

The closest English equivalent: He who leans on a good tree gets good shade.

Used to advise choosing good company, mentors, or environments because they will benefit you; common in advice about friendships and habits.

Hear it in a sentence

Junta con gente estudiosa, que el que a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija.

Hang out with studious people, because he who leans on a good tree gets good shade.

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.

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