Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Más vale un toma que dos te daré.»
Word for word
One 'take' is worth more than two 'I will give you'.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Used to advise accepting a sure, immediate benefit rather than waiting for a bigger promise that may never come. Common in money and negotiation contexts.
Also said as
- Más vale un «toma» que dos «te daré».
Hear it in a sentence
Acéptale la oferta ahora; más vale un toma que dos te daré.
Accept his offer now; one 'take' is worth more than two 'I will give you'.
More Spanish sayings
- Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando. — A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
- Lo prometido es deuda. — A promise is a promise.
- Hombre precavido vale por dos. — A cautious man is worth two.
- Si la montaña no va a Mahoma, Mahoma va a la montaña. — If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.
- Todo llega para quien sabe esperar. — Good things come to those who wait.
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.