The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: Those who act first gain advantage.
Origin: John Ray printed it in A Collection of English Proverbs (1670) as "The early bird catcheth the worm." Ray was a naturalist as well as a collector of sayings, and he recorded it as country wisdom already in use. The 20th century answered with a joke of its own: "the early worm gets eaten."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: L'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt (literally: The future belongs to those who wake up early)
- Spanish: Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda (literally: God helps those who rise early)
- Japanese: 早起きは三文の徳 (Hayaoki wa sanmon no toku) (literally: Waking early is worth three coins)
- German: Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund (literally: The morning hour has gold in its mouth)
More proverbs about Perseverance
- Better late than never — Doing something late is better than not doing it at all.
- Slow and steady wins the race — Consistency and patience lead to success.
- Good things come to those who wait — Patience is rewarded.
- In for a penny, in for a pound — Once committed to something, go all the way with it.
- Every dog has its day — Everyone will have their moment of success or good fortune.
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — Great accomplishments start with small beginnings.
From our compliments & insults
- Eres un crack — You're brilliant — a total star at what you do.
- Eres muy majo/a — You're a lovely, kind, and genuine person — the nicest way to compliment someone's charac…
- Tienes mucho corazón — You're extraordinarily generous and warm — you give more than you need to.