Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Más vale tarde que nunca.»
Word for word
Late is worth more than never.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Better late than never.
Used when something finally happens after a long delay — an apology, a payment, a life goal.
Hear it in a sentence
Por fin terminé la carrera a los cuarenta años; más vale tarde que nunca.
I finally finished my degree at forty — better late than never.
More Spanish sayings
- Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena. — Better late than never when the outcome is good.
- A la tercera va la vencida. — Third time's the charm.
- Vivir para ver. — You live and learn.
- Nunca es tarde para aprender. — It's never too late to learn.
- Cuando las ranas críen pelo. — When pigs fly.
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.