Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«El que con lobos anda, a aullar se enseña.»
Word for word
He who walks with wolves learns to howl.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: He who keeps company with wolves will learn to howl.
Warns that you pick up the habits and behaviors of the company you keep. Used as advice to choose friends and associates carefully, especially for young people.
Hear it in a sentence
No te juntes con esa gente; el que con lobos anda, a aullar se enseña.
Don't hang around with those people; he who walks with wolves learns to howl.
More Spanish sayings
- Hijo eres, padre serás, lo que hiciste pagarás. — You reap what you sow with your children.
- Quien hace un cesto, hace ciento. — Do it once and you'll do it again.
- Habla poco y bien, y serás tenido por alguien. — Speak little and well, and you'll be respected.
- Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces. — Look before you leap.
- Más vale solo que mal acompañado. — Better alone than in bad company.
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.