strike while the iron is hot

English

Verb

strike while the iron is hot

1. (literally metallurgy) To strike a hot piece of metal, especially iron, with a mallet or other tool before it cools, while it is still hot enough to be shaped.
2. (idiomatic) To act on an opportunity promptly while favorable conditions exist; to avoid waiting.

   We should strike while the iron is hot and order some immediately, before they change the offer.

Usage notes

• When expressed in the imperative mood, this term is a well-known saying or proverb:

  Strike while the iron is hot!

Synonyms

• make hay while the sun shines

Translations

act on an opportunity promptly

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 趁熱打鐵, 趁热打铁 (zh) (chènrèdǎtiě), 打鐵趁熱, 打铁趁热 (dǎtiěchènrè)

  Min Nan: trad. 魚趁生，人趁茈, simpl. 鱼趁生，人趁茈 (hî-thàn-chhiⁿ, lâng-thàn-chíⁿ)

• Czech: kout železo, dokud je žhavé
• Danish: smede mens jernet er varmt
• Dutch: het ijzer smeden als het heet is
• Finnish: tao, kun rauta on kuumaa
• French: il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud (fr)
• German: man muss das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiß ist (de)
• Hebrew: להכות בברזל בעודו חם
• Hindi: लोहा गरम हैं. मार दो हथौड़ा. (lohā garam hain. mār do hathauṛā.)
• Hungarian: addig üsd a vasat, amíg meleg (hu)
• Irish: buail an t-iarann te
• Italian: battere il ferro finché è caldo

• Japanese: 善は急げ (ぜんはいそげ, zen-wa isoge), 膳は急げ (ぜんはいそげ, zen-wa isoge), 鉄は熱いうちに打て (てつはあついうちにうて, tetsu wa atsui uchi ni ute)
• Lingala: otútá ebendé ntángo ezalí na mɔ̌tɔ
• Lithuanian: kalti geležį, kol ji karšta
• Macedonian: железото се кове додека е жешко (želézoto se kóve dódeka e žéško)
• Maltese: il-ftira sħuna tajba
• Norwegian: smi mens jernet er varmt
• Polish: kuj żelazo póki gorące
• Portuguese: malhar enquanto o ferro está quente
• Russian: куй железо, пока горячо (kuj želézo, poká gorjačó)
• Serbo-Croatian: željezo se kuje dok je vruće
• Spanish: batir el hierro cuando está al rojo
• Swedish: smida medan järnet är varmt (sv)
• Thai: ตีเหล็กเมื่อแดง กินแกงเมื่อร้อน (tii lèk mêua daeng, kin kaeng mêua rón)
• Turkish: demir tavında dövülür

Proverb

strike while the iron is hot

1. Take advantage of opportunity.

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, ISBN 0-679-44554-4, p. 309.