Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Más vale un amigo que cien parientes.»
Word for word
More is worth one friend than one hundred relatives.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: A good friend is worth more than many relatives.
Said when a friend proves more supportive than family. It emphasizes that chosen bonds can be as strong as blood ties.
Hear it in a sentence
Más vale un amigo que cien parientes, y tú siempre has estado a mi lado.
One friend is worth more than a hundred relatives, and you've always been by my side.
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.