lahs ah-pah-RYEN-syahs en-GAH-nyan
Literally, this phrase means that appearances (like this perfect-looking apple) can deceive you.
This shows the real meaning: a person's appearance doesn't always match their true nature.
Ese restaurante parece muy lujoso, pero la comida es terrible. ¡Las apariencias engañan!
B1That restaurant looks very fancy, but the food is terrible. Appearances can be deceiving!
Parecía muy tímido, pero en la fiesta fue el más divertido. De verdad, las apariencias engañan.
B1He seemed very shy, but at the party he was the most fun. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover.
This is a timeless proverb with roots in ancient wisdom, found in many languages and cultures. The Latin writer Phaedrus, who wrote fables, expressed a similar idea. It's a universal piece of advice that warns us to look beyond the surface, a theme common in fables and folk tales across the world where a humble-looking creature often turns out to be wise or powerful.
Unlike some idioms that fit into a larger sentence, 'Las apariencias engañan' often stands alone as a complete sentence. It's a perfect way to comment on a situation where reality turned out to be different than expected.
While it's great for describing people, don't forget you can use it for anything: a fancy-looking dish that tastes bad, a simple-looking house that's beautiful inside, or a job that sounds easy but is actually very difficult.
Mistake: “Learners sometimes try to conjugate the verb or change the words, like 'La apariencia engaña'.”
Correction: While grammatically correct, the phrase is almost always used in its fixed, plural form: 'Las apariencias engañan'. Think of it as a set chunk of language that doesn't change.
Universal and extremely common. Every native speaker knows and uses this proverb.
Universal and extremely common throughout all of Latin America. It's a fundamental piece of cultural wisdom.
Question 1 of 1
You meet a very serious-looking person who turns out to be a hilarious comedian. Which phrase best describes this situation?
Want to sound more natural when using this idiom? Practice your Spanish pronunciation with our collection of tongue twisters.
Browse Spanish Tongue Twisters →Idioms make sense in context. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see idioms used naturally by characters — and build the ear native speakers have.
It's a neutral proverb that fits in almost any context. You can use it in a casual conversation with friends or in a more formal setting to make a point. It's a piece of wisdom that transcends social registers.
