Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«El que ríe último, ríe mejor, pero el que espera, goza más.»
Word for word
He who laughs last laughs better, but he who waits enjoys more.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: He who laughs last laughs best, but he who waits enjoys more.
A blend of two sayings used to emphasize that patience brings a deeper and more lasting satisfaction than rushing.
Hear it in a sentence
No te burles de mí ahora; el que ríe último, ríe mejor, pero el que espera, goza más.
Don't mock me now; he who laughs last laughs best, but he who waits enjoys more.
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.