Strike while the iron is hot
Meaning: Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself.
Origin: English proverb from blacksmithing tradition, 14th century.
Translations
- French: Il faut battre le fer tant qu'il est chaud (literally: One must strike the iron while it is hot)
- Spanish: A hierro caliente, batir de repente (literally: To hot iron, strike suddenly)
- Japanese: 鉄は熱いうちに打て (Tetsu wa atsui uchi ni ute) (literally: Strike the iron while it is hot)
More proverbs about Challenge
- If you can't beat them, join them — If you can't win against something, align with it.
- You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs — Progress requires sacrifice.
- What doesn't kill you makes you stronger — Adversity builds resilience and character.
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained — You must take risks to achieve rewards.
- Out of the frying pan, into the fire — Escaping one bad situation only to end up in a worse one.
- The road to success is paved with failure — Success requires learning from mistakes.
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