# All Slavic languages: Strike while the iron is hot



## 涼宮

Good evening everyone!

To "strike while the iron is hot" means to take advantage of something while the  moment is most appropriate. In Spanish there are many colorful/funny/interesting ways to say that, 2 of them: _la ocasión la pintan calva_ (lit: the occasion is painted bald), _¡Atáscate ahora que hay lodo!_ (lit. get stuck now as there is mud) .

I would like to know how the Slavic languages translate such expression, if you can also give me the literal meaning it'd be great.


Thank you in advance


----------



## pwassi

Hi,

In Slovene, the proverb with the same meaning would be: "Kuj železo, dokler je vroče" (its literal meaning is the same as in English).


----------



## itreius

Croatian (BCS)

Željezo se kuje dok je vruće.


----------



## Arath

Bulgarian:

Желязото се кове, докато е горещо - Želyazoto se kove, dokato e gorešto - Iron is forged while it's still hot.


----------



## Azori

In Slovak:

*Železo sa kuje, kým je horúce./Železo sa kuje za horúca.* - Iron is forged while it is hot.
*Kuj železo, kým je horúce./Kuj železo za horúca.* - Forge iron while it is hot.


----------



## jazyk

In Czech:

Železo se kuje, dokud je žhavé.


----------



## DenisBiH

I normally use _željezo _for iron, but the version of the proverb that I know is:

_Gvožđe se kuje dok je vruće._


----------



## iobyo

*Macedonian*:

_Железото се кове додека е жешко / Železoto se kove dodeka e žeško_*(lit. "iron is forged while it's hot").


* This is the most common variant.


----------



## LilianaB

Kuj żelazo póki gorące in Polish.


----------



## Ukrainito

Both Russian and Ukranian use a literal translation:

Russian: *Куй железо, пока горячо.
*Ukrainian: *Куй залізо, поки гаряче.*


----------



## Ukrainito

En ambos idiomas míos sí que se utiliza una traducción literal:

Ruso: *Куй железо, пока горячо.
*Ucraniano: *Куй залізо, поки гаряче.
*
No obstante, la gente usa con frecuencia varias otras frases que llevan el mismo significado, aunque en esas no hay nada de _hierro_ no _caliente_, p. ej.:
*Не упусти шанс! *(¡No te pierdas la ocasión!)
*Лови момент! *(¡Agarra el momento!)
*Дают — бери, бьют — беги!. *(¡(Si) te dan, tómelo; (si) te pegan, huye corriendo!)


----------



## vianie

lior said: 





> železo sa kuje, kým je horúce



For other members: along with kým Slovak use pokým, dokým, pokiaľ, dokiaľ and zakiaľ.


----------

