make hay while the sun shines

English

Verb

to make hay while the sun shines

1. (idiomatic) To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

Usage notes

• In the imperative form this verb is used as a proverb.

Translations

act while an opportunity exists

Breton: pa'z eus avel eo gwentañ a zo d'ober (br) Finnish: tao, kun rauta on kuumaa Hungarian: addig üsd a vasat, amíg meleg (hu) Japanese: 善は急げ (ja) (ぜんはいそげ, zen-wa isoge)

Macedonian: железото се кове додека е жешко (mk) (želézoto se kóve dódeka e žéško) Russian: куй железо, пока горячо (kuj želézo, poká gorjačó) Spanish: ahora que hay modo (es)

See also

• strike while the iron is hot

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, ISBN 0-679-44554-4, p. 225.