Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Más vale ser cabeza de ratón que cola de león.»
¿Cómo se dice «Más vale ser cabeza de ratón que cola de león» en inglés? Better to be first in a village than second in Rome.
Word for word
It is better to be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Better to be first in a village than second in Rome.
Used when someone prefers a leading role in a small setting over a minor role in a big one. Common in career and life decisions.
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Hear it in a sentence
Más vale ser cabeza de ratón que cola de león; prefiero dirigir mi propio negocio pequeño.
Better to be first in a village than second in Rome; I prefer to run my own small business.
More Spanish sayings
- Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer. — Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
- Pueblo pequeño, infierno grande. — Small town, big gossip.
- Todos los caminos llevan a Roma. — All roads lead to Rome.
- De grano en grano, llena la gallina el buche. — Little by little, one goes far.
- La suerte favorece a los audaces. — Fortune favors the bold.
More: Spanish sayings about animals
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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.