ProverbChallenge
English origin14th c.
English origin14th c.Strike while the iron is hot
Meaning: Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself.
Origin: A blacksmith can shape or weld iron only while it glows; once it cools, the hammer does nothing. Chaucer uses the image in the 14th century, and by the 16th it was a standard English proverb for seizing an opportunity before it passes.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 6 more languages
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)
German: Man muss das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiß ist (literally: One must forge the iron while it is hot)
Italian: Batti il ferro quando è caldo (literally: Strike while the iron is hot)
Dutch: Men moet het ijzer smeden als het heet is (literally: One must forge the iron while it is hot)
Russian: Куй железо, пока горячо (Kuy zhelezo, poka goryacho) (literally: Forge the iron while it's hot)
Polish: Kuj żelazo, póki gorące (literally: Forge the iron while it's hot)
Chinese: 趁热打铁 (Chèn rè dǎ tiě) (literally: Strike the iron while it's hot)
Korean: 쇠뿔도 단김에 빼랬다 (Soeppuldo dangime ppaeraetda) (literally: Pull out the ox horn while it's still hot)
Turkish: Demir tavında dövülür (literally: Iron is forged at the right heat)
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