the early bird gets the worm

English

Alternative forms

the early bird catches the worm

Proverb

the early bird gets the worm

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

Related terms

Descendants

→ Chinese: 早起的鳥兒有蟲吃／早起的鸟儿有虫吃 (zǎoqǐ de niǎor yǒu chóng chī) (calque)
→ German: der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm (calque)

Translations

whoever arrives first has the best chance of success

Afrikaans: die oggendstond het goud in die mond
Arabic: مِنْ سَبَق أَكْل النَبْق (min sabaq ʔakl an-nabq), مِنْ سَبَقْ شَمْ الحَبْقْ (min sabaq šam al-ḥabq)
Gulf Arabic: من سبق لبق
Belarusian: хто ра́на ўстае́ таму́ Бог дае́, а хто спіць да со́нца, таму́ хлеб у като́мцы (xto rána ŭstajé tamú Boh dajé, a xto spicʹ da sónca, tamú xljeb u katómcy)
Catalan: qui matina fa farina
Chinese:
Mandarin: 早起的鳥兒有蟲吃／早起的鸟儿有虫吃 (zh) (zǎoqǐ de niǎor yǒu chóng chī), 先下手為強／先下手为强 (zh) (xiān xiàshǒu wéi qiáng), 捷足先登 (zh) (jiézúxiāndēng), 近水樓台先得月 (jìnshuǐlóutái xiān dé yuè), 先到先得 (zh) (xiāndàoxiāndé)
Czech: ranní ptáče dál doskáče (cs), komu se nelení, tomu se zelení (cs)
Danish: morgenstund har guld i mund
Dutch: morgenstond heeft goud in de mond
Finnish: aikainen lintu madon nappaa
French: l’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt (fr) (literally “the future is for those who get up early”), le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt (fr), la vache la première au pré, lèche toute la rosée (literally “the first cow to the meadow licks up all the dew”)
German: der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm (de), Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund
Hebrew: הציפור המשכימה קום תופסת את התולעת, המשכים קום, אלוהים נותן לו שילום, כל הקודם זוכה (he) (kol hakódem zókhe)
Hungarian: ki korán kel, aranyat lel (hu)
Irish: is leis an mochóirí an lá (literally 'the day belongs to the early riser')
Italian: chi primo arriva meglio alloggia (literally “he who arrives first, stays better”), chi dorme non piglia pesci (literally “he who sleeps catches no fish”), il mattino ha l'oro in bocca (literally “the morning has gold in its mouth”)
Japanese: 早起きの鳥は虫を捕らえる (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 (iljjik ireonaneun saega beollereul jamneunda)
Macedonian: кој рано рани, две среќи граби (koj rano rani, dve sreḱi grabi)
Malay: siapa cepat dia dapat
Navajo: hashkééł ndaakaiígíí ayóo baa daʼneedééh
Norman: l'heûsi n'a janmais ieu à emprunter du tardi
Norwegian:
Bokmål: morgenstund har gull i munn (no)

Nynorsk: morgonstund har gull i munn
Polish: kto rano wstaje, temu Pan Bóg daje (pl)
Portuguese: Deus ajuda quem cedo madruga
Romanian: cine se trezește de dimineață, departe ajunge (literally “he who wakes up early, gets far away”)
Russian: кто ра́но встаёт, тому́ бог подаёт (kto ráno vstajót, tomú box podajót)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ко рано рани две среће граби, птица раноранилица прва црва нађе

Roman: ko rano rani dve sreće grabi, ptica ranoranilica prva crva nađe
Slovak: komu sa nelení, tomu sa zelení
Spanish: a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda
Swedish: morgonstund har guld i mund, ^{(please verify)} den som sätter igång först når mest framgång, morgonstund har guld i mun
Turkish: erken kalkan yol alır, erken kalktım işime, şeker kattım aşıma
Vietnamese: con chim đầu bắt sâu
Zulu: inyoni yokuqala ibamba isibungu

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