Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Habla poco y bien, y serás tenido por alguien.»
Word for word
Speak little and well, and you will be held as somebody.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Speak little and well, and you'll be respected.
Used to encourage someone to choose their words carefully rather than talk constantly. It suggests that measured speech earns more respect than chatter.
Hear it in a sentence
Recuerda: habla poco y bien, y serás tenido por alguien en cualquier ambiente.
Remember: speak little and well, and you'll be respected in any setting.
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.