น้ำขึ้นให้รีบตัก
Meaning: Seize an opportunity while it lasts.
Language: Thai
Literally: When the water rises, hurry to scoop it
Category: Nature
Origin: Life along Thailand's rivers and tides taught that you gather water at high tide — the moment won't wait.
Equivalents in other languages
- Hebrew: קופצים על המציאה (Kofsim al hamtsi'a) — literally: To jump on the bargain
More idioms — Nature
- ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า — To give a long-winded, roundabout justification before getting to the point.
- Đứng núi này trông núi nọ — Never satisfied with what you have; the grass is always greener.
- Nước đổ lá khoai — Advice or effort that has no effect at all; in one ear and out the other.
- To rain on someone's parade — To spoil someone's plans or happy moment.
- Non ci piove — There's no doubt about it whatsoever.
- Het regent pijpenstelen — It is raining very heavily.
More Thai idioms
- จับปลาสองมือ — To chase two goals at once and risk losing both.
- ตำน้ำพริกละลายแม่น้ำ — To squander resources for nothing.
- ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน — To use enormous means for a trivial result.
From our tongue twisters
- Бабин біб розцвів у дощ, буде бабі біб у борщ. (Babyn bib roztsviv u doshch, bude babi bib u borshch.) — A bilabial 'b / bib / bor' drill that ends in a very Slavic splash of borscht.
- She sells seashells by the seashore. — The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. — A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.