the early bird gets the worm

6.9

People who act early are more likely to succeed

idiom

: el que madruga, Dios le ayuda

Remember, the early bird gets the worm!

Examples

I always try to arrive early at interviews because the early bird gets the worm.
She wakes up at dawn to start her studies, believing that the early bird gets the worm.
You should submit your applications sooner—remember, the early bird gets the worm.
If you want to succeed, the early bird gets the worm.
If you want to get the best deals, remember that the early bird gets the worm.
She always wakes up at dawn because she believes that the early bird gets the worm.
In business, it's often true that the early bird gets the worm, so I try to arrive first.

Synonyms

to strike while the iron is hot

vsthe early bird gets the worm

Informal

3 4.7

Do something quickly to use a good chance before it ends

acts before others to gain an early advantage

Surface Forms

the early bird gets the worm main

Morphology

the + early + bird + get + the + worm

The phrase is a metaphorical proverb: the literal image of an 'early bird' catching a 'worm' maps to the general idea that acting early yields advantages. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words can often infer the general sense, but the fixed proverbial usage and cultural framing mean the full pragmatic meaning may not be completely predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The saying the early bird gets the worm comes from watching birds at dawn: worms come out of the ground early, so the first bird finds the food. So, the phrase means that people who start or arrive early are more likely to 'succeed' or 'gain an advantage'.