English Translation
Strike while the iron is hot.
Does this have an idiomatic meaning in Spanish, as it does in English? Gracias!
No, it doesn’t, as with many idioms. We’d say something different, likely depending on the country when it comes to casual speech. More formally we’d say something like “debemos actuar de inmediato” or something similar.
Caveat: speaker communities heavily influenced by English (eg. Latinos in the US) are more likely to adopt English idioms and translate them straight, so don’t be surprised to hear something similar among those communities.
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Thank you, that is very helpful!
And … I just edited most my typos (bloody phone).
Also, as a curiosity, it would work in French. Both languages have the expression attested for many centuries, so I went to search if a Spanish had at least a similar one…
And there is this saying (refrán) “al hierro candente, batirlo de repente”, which is the exact same metaphor, just with a different structure. There are synonyms, lol here: CVC. Refranero Multilingüe. Ficha: Al hierro candente, batirlo de repente.
I know at least “la ocasión la pintan calva” and “ave que vuela, a la cazuela”. The idea is the same: take advantage of an opportunity while it’s available
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