Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Lo cortés no quita lo valiente.»
Word for word
The courteous does not remove the brave.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Being polite doesn't make you any less brave.
Used to argue that good manners and courage are compatible, often to encourage someone to be polite without fearing it makes them weak. Common in discussions about standing up for oneself.
Hear it in a sentence
Puedes defender tu opinión con educación; lo cortés no quita lo valiente.
You can defend your opinion politely; being polite doesn't make you any less brave.
More Spanish sayings
- En el país de los ciegos, el tuerto es rey. — In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
- El que guarda su boca, guarda su alma. — Watch your mouth, protect yourself.
- Una golondrina no hace verano. — One swallow doesn’t make a summer.
- Haz el bien y no mires a quién. — Do good without expecting anything in return.
- Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito. — There’s no accounting for taste.
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.