Cuando el río suena, agua lleva

/KWAN-doh el REE-oh SWAY-nah, AH-gwah YEH-vah/

Rumors usually have some truth to them; if people are talking about something, it's likely for a reason.

Level:B2Register:NeutralCommon:★★★★☆

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"When the river sounds, it carries water."

What It Really Means:

Rumors usually have some truth to them; if people are talking about something, it's likely for a reason.

English Equivalents:

Where there's smoke, there's fire.There's no smoke without fire.There's a grain of truth in every rumor.

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, this means 'When the river makes a sound, it's carrying water'.

✨ Figurative

It means that rumors usually have some truth to them, like 'Where there's smoke, there's fire'.

Key Words in This Idiom:

río

📝 In Action

Dicen que van a despedir al gerente. No sé si es cierto, pero cuando el río suena, agua lleva.

They say they're going to fire the manager. I don't know if it's true, but where there's smoke, there's fire.

Escuché que Ana y Juan están saliendo. —No me sorprendería. Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.

I heard that Ana and Juan are dating. —I wouldn't be surprised. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

📜 Origin Story

This is an ancient proverb with roots in Roman times. It's based on a simple, universal observation from nature: a river you can hear from a distance is a powerful one, full of water. This physical reality was applied metaphorically to human life. The 'sound' represents the rumors and gossip, while the 'water' represents the underlying truth. If there's a lot of talk about something, there's probably a real event or situation causing it.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Cautious Belief

Use this proverb to suggest that a rumor might be true, without fully committing to believing it. It's a perfect way to say, 'I've heard this, and there's probably a reason people are talking,' acknowledging the gossip while maintaining a bit of distance.

Responding to Gossip

It's often used as a response when someone tells you a piece of gossip. Replying with 'Bueno, cuando el río suena...' is a classic way to show you think there might be something to it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't Use It for Confirmed Facts

Mistake: "Using the phrase for something that is already known to be 100% true."

Correction: This expression lives in the space between pure speculation and proven fact. It implies there's evidence (the rumor), but not yet absolute proof. If you know something for sure, just state the fact directly.

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common. It's a core part of the 'refranero popular' (collection of popular sayings) that everyone knows and uses.

🌎

Latin America

Universally understood and widely used across all Spanish-speaking countries, from Mexico to Argentina.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️ Similar Meanings

Por el hilo se saca el ovillo

You can figure out the whole story from a small clue (lit. 'By the thread, the ball of yarn is pulled out').

⇆ Opposite Meanings

No es oro todo lo que reluce

Appearances can be deceiving (lit. 'Not all that glitters is gold').

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Cuando el río suena, agua lleva

Question 1 of 1

If someone tells you a rumor and you reply, 'Cuando el río suena, agua lleva', what are you implying?

🏷️ Tags

NatureGossipCommonly Used

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this phrase considered formal or informal?

It's neutral. As a traditional proverb, it's respected enough to be used in relatively formal contexts (like a news commentary) but is also very common in everyday, informal conversations among friends and family.

Can I shorten this phrase?

Yes, very often. If someone tells you a piece of gossip, you can simply reply with the first part: 'Cuando el río suena...' The listener will automatically understand the rest of the proverb.