Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«No es oro todo lo que reluce.»
Word for word
Not everything that shines is gold.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: All that glitters is not gold.
A caution that attractive surfaces — offers, people, hotel photos — often hide disappointing realities.
Also said as
- No todo lo que brilla es oro.
Hear it in a sentence
El hotel parecía de lujo en las fotos, pero no es oro todo lo que reluce.
The hotel looked luxurious in the photos, but all that glitters is not gold.
More Spanish sayings
- Quien todo lo quiere, todo lo pierde. — Grasp all, lose all.
- Una imagen vale más que mil palabras. — A picture is worth a thousand words.
- No hay mal que dure cien años. — Troubles don't last forever.
- Quien mal anda, mal acaba. — Those who go astray come to a bad end.
- Nadie da duros a cuatro pesetas. — Nobody gives something for nothing.
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.