Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Los niños y los borrachos siempre dicen la verdad.»
Word for word
Children and drunkards always tell the truth.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Children and drunkards always tell the truth.
Said when someone blurts out an uncomfortable truth, often excusing a child's blunt remark or a drunk person's honesty. It's a well-known folk saying used throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
Hear it in a sentence
Mi sobrino dijo que su tía está gorda; ya sabes, los niños y los borrachos siempre dicen la verdad.
My nephew said his aunt is fat; you know, children and drunkards always tell the truth.
More Spanish sayings
- Quien canta, sus males espanta. — Singing drives away your troubles.
- La verdad no peca, pero incomoda. — The truth doesn't sin, but it makes people uncomfortable.
- Zapatero, a tus zapatos. — Stick to what you know.
- Caras vemos, corazones no sabemos. — You can't judge a book by its cover.
- Quien no te conozca, que te compre. — I know you too well to be fooled.
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.