ProverbWisdom
Spanish origin
Spanish originAunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda
Meaning: Fine clothes or appearances don't change what someone really is.
Literally: Even if the monkey dresses in silk, she remains a monkey
Example: “Se compró un coche carísimo, pero sigue siendo igual de grosero. Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda.” — He bought an expensive car, but he's just as rude as ever: you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear.
Equivalents in English, French, Japanese, Dutch, Polish, and Chinese
English: You can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear
French: Le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpre (literally: A monkey is always a monkey, even dressed in purple)
Japanese: 瓦は磨いても玉にならず (Kawara wa migaite mo tama ni narazu) (literally: A roof tile, however much you polish it, will not become a jewel)
Dutch: Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding (literally: Even if an ape wears a gold ring, it's still an ugly thing)
Polish: I w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu (literally: Even in Paris they can't make rice out of oats)
Chinese: 朽木不可雕 (Xiǔ mù bù kě diāo) (literally: Rotten wood can't be carved)
Origin: Tomás de Iriarte opened his fable La Mona (1782) with it, introducing it as a proverb everyone already knew.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Vaso Actually means 'a drinking glass'. A vase (for flowers) is un jarrón or florero.
- Embarazada Actually means 'pregnant'. For embarrassed, say avergonzado/a.
- Constipado Actually means 'having a head cold'. Estoy constipado = I have a cold.
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