Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«No todo el monte es orégano.»
¿Cómo se dice «No todo el monte es orégano» en inglés? Life isn't a bed of roses.
Word for word
Not all the countryside is oregano.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Life isn't a bed of roses.
Used to warn that a situation is not as easy or pleasant as it seems, often regarding work or business.
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Hear it in a sentence
Ese negocio parece fácil, pero no todo el monte es orégano.
That business seems easy, but life isn't a bed of roses.
More Spanish sayings
- Una de cal y otra de arena. — Give and take.
- Todo lo que sube, baja. — What goes up must come down.
- No es tan fiero el león como lo pintan. — The devil is not as black as he is painted.
- La ocasión hace al ladrón. — Opportunity makes the thief.
- A falta de pan, buenas son tortas. — Beggars can’t be choosers.
More: Spanish sayings about life and wisdom
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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.