Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Tanto tienes, tanto vales.»
Word for word
As much as you have, so much are you worth.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Money talks.
A cynical observation that society judges people by their wealth. Common in discussions about materialism, class, and social status.
Hear it in a sentence
En esta ciudad tanto tienes, tanto vales; sin dinero nadie te respeta.
In this city, money talks; without money nobody respects you.
More Spanish sayings
- Poderoso caballero es don Dinero. — Money makes the world go round.
- Las apariencias engañan. — Appearances can be deceiving.
- El que a hierro mata, a hierro muere. — Live by the sword, die by the sword.
- El que paga, manda. — He who pays the piper calls the tune.
- Más vale saber que haber. — Knowledge is better than wealth.
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.