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De noche todos los gatos son pardos

Appearances can be deceiving

ES
Example

Normal que te confundieras; de noche todos los gatos son pardos.

When to use it

After a party, someone realizes they mistook a stranger for a friend in the dim lighting.

What it means

Literally, it means "at night all cats are brown/grey."
In practice, it means that in the dark (or with limited information), differences blur and appearances can be misleading. It's a traditional proverb, more old-school than slang, and it can apply to looks, judgment, or moral choices when conditions hide details. People use it to warn you not to trust first impressions or to explain why someone made a mistake.

Don't confuse it with

"De noche todos los gatos son pardos" does not mean we all struggle with the same problems, the night is a good counselor, small problems grow worse when you ignore them. It specifically means "Appearances can be deceiving".

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