strike while the iron is hot

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

red hot iron

to strike while the iron is hot

1. (metallurgy, blacksmithing, literally) 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
• take time by the forelock

Translations

act on an opportunity promptly

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 趁熱打鐵, 趁热打铁 (can³ jit⁶ daa² tit³), 打鐵趁熱, 打铁趁热 (daa² tit³ can³ jit⁶)

  Mandarin: 趁熱打鐵 (zh), 趁热打铁 (zh) (chènrè-dǎtiě), 打鐵趁熱, 打铁趁热 (dǎtiě-chènrè)

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

• Czech: kout železo, dokud je žhavé, kuj železo, dokud je žhavé (cs)
• Danish: smede mens jernet er varmt
• Dutch: het ijzer smeden als het heet is
• Finnish: takoa, kun rauta on kuumaa
• French: il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud (fr)
• Georgian: დაჰკარ, სანამ რკინა ცხელია. (dahḳar, sanam rḳina cxelia.)
• German: man muss das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiß ist (de)
• Greek: στη βράση κολλάει το σίδερο (sti vrási kolláei to sídero)
• Hebrew: להכות בברזל בעודו חם‎
• Hindi: लोहा गरम हैं. मार दो हथौड़ा. (lohā garam ha͠i. 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)
• Korean: 쇠뿔도 단김에 빼랬다 (ko) (soeppuldo dan-gime ppaeraetda)
• 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 (no)
• Polish: kuj żelazo póki gorące
• Portuguese: malhar enquanto o ferro está quente
• Russian: куй желе́зо, пока́ горячо́ (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

See also

• grasp the nettle

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 309.