Today we will dive into colloquial language and learn the most common Spanish idioms with valer. Take a look at the blog of our Spanish school, El Rincón del Tándem, to learn expressions that will make you sound like a native Spanish speaker 😊

In our previous post we have talked about meaning and uses of the word vale. Today, we will focus on Spanish verbs; specifically, we will learn some useful Spanish idioms with valer.

During Spanish lessons at our school, the teachers always help students improve their Spanish speaking skills by teaching them how to use idioms and colloquial expressions.

If you also want to make your Spanish sounds more authentic, let’s take a look at the expressions below.

Valer la pena: to be worth it

  • Si somos cuatros personas vale la pena alquilar un coche = If we are four people, it is worth renting a car

Valer su peso en oro: to be worth its/somebody’s weight in gold

  • Lucas es un empleado que vale su peso en oro. Es un valor añadido para la empresa = Lucas is an employee who is worth his weight in gold. He is a valuable asset to the company

No valer un pimiento: not be worth a penny

  • Esta marca de coche es muy mala; no vale un pimiento = This car brand is really bad; it’s not worth a penny

No valer un comino/un duro: to be worthless / not be worth tuppence

  • Este jarrón no es tan antiguo como pensaba. No vale un comino/ un duro = This vase is not as old as I thought. It’s not worth tuppence

Hacerse valer: To assert oneself

  • No dejes que tu hermano te trate sin respecto. ¡Hazte valer! = Don’t let your brother treat you disrespectfully. Assert yourself!

Valer para algo: to be good for something

  • Pilar desafina mucho. No vale para la coral = Pilar is often off pitch. She is no good for the choir

Más vale que/Más vale (hacer algo): It’s better that/It would better (doing something)

  • Es muy tarde; más vale coger el tren = It’s late; we would better catch the train

¡Más te vale!: You’d better!

  • Prometo que hoy llegaré puntual. – ¡Más te vale! = I promise I will be on time today. – You’d better!

Valerse por uno mismo/si solo: to fend for oneself

  • Roberto es un chico muy maduro. Tiene 18 años y ya se vale por sí mismo = Roberto is very mature boy. He is 18 years old and already fends for himself

Besides, find below a short list of Spanish sayings with their English equivalents:

  • Más vale prevenir que curar: better safe than sorry
  • Más vale tarde que nunca: better late than ever
  • Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer: better the devil you know than the devil you don’t
  • Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

We hope that these Spanish idioms with valer will come in handy when speaking with Spanish people.

If you want to learn more idioms with Spanish verbs, take a look at our previous posts!

Finally, we remind you that our Spanish school, El Rincón del Tándem, is happy to provide you with a friendly and cosy place in Valencia, where you can study Spanish by having fun.

¡Hasta pronto!