the early bird gets the worm

English

Alternative forms

• the early bird catches the worm

Proverb

the early bird gets the worm

1. Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

Related terms

• early to bed, early to rise

Translations

whoever arrives first has the best chance of success

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 早起的鳥兒有蟲吃 (cmn), 早起的鸟儿有虫吃 (cmn) (zǎoqǐ de niǎor yǒu chóng chī), 先下手為強 (cmn), 先下手为强 (cmn) (xiān xiàshǒu wéi qiáng), 捷足先登 (cmn) (jiézúxiāndēng)

• Czech: ranní ptáče dál doskáče (cs)
• Danish: den tidlige fugl fanger ormen (da)
• Dutch: wie het eerst komt, wie het eerst maalt (nl)
• Esperanto: unua venis, unua prenis (eo)
• Finnish: aikainen lintu madon nappaa (fi)
• French: l'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt (Future is for those who get up early)
• German: der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm (the early bird gets the worm), Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund (morning time has gold in its mouth)
• Hungarian: ki korán kel, aranyat lel (hu)
• Italian: chi primo arriva meglio alloggia (it) (he who arrives first, stays better), chi dorme non piglia pesci (it) (he who sleeps doesn't catch any fish)

• Japanese: 早起きの鳥は虫を捕らえる (ja) (hayaoki-no tori-wa mushi-o toraeru), 早起きは三文の徳 (ja) (hayaoki-wa sanmon-no toku)
• Korean: 일찍 일어나는 새가 벌레를 잡는다. (ko)
• Macedonian: кој рано рани, две среќи граби (mk) (koj ráno ráni, dve sréḱi grábi)
• Malay: siapa cepat dia dapat (ms)
• Norwegian: den som kommer først til mølla, får først malt (no), morgenstund har gull i munn (no)
• Polish: kto rano wstaje, temu Pan Bóg daje
• Portuguese: deus ajuda quem cedo madruga
• Russian: кто рано встаёт, тому бог подаёт (ru) (kto ráno vstajót, tomú box podajót)
• Serbo-Croatian: ко рано рани две среће граби (sh) (ko rano rani dve sreće grabi), птица раноранилица прва црва нађе (sh) (ptica ranoranilica prva crva nađe)
• Slovak: komu sa nelení, tomu sa zelení
• Spanish: a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda
• Swedish: först till kvarn får först mala (first to the mill get to grind first), morgonstund har guld i mund (sv)
• Turkish: erken kalkan yol alır (tr), erken kalktım işime, şeker kattım aşıma (tr)