Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Las apariencias engañan.»
Word for word
The appearances deceive.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Appearances can be deceiving.
Used when something or someone looks one way but turns out to be different. Very common in everyday conversation to warn against judging by looks.
Hear it in a sentence
Las apariencias engañan, así que no juzgues a ese hombre por su ropa vieja.
Appearances can be deceiving, so don't judge that man by his old clothes.
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.