English · Proverb Candidate

make hay while the sun shines

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Take advantage of an opportunity while it is available

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tận dụng cơ hội trong khi nó còn tồn tại

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: harvest hay during sunny weather

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent việc gì làm được hôm nay chớ để ngày mai Make hay while the sun shines. Tiếng Việt Near equivalent many a little makes a mickle Small amounts can add up to make a significant total. English · via việc gì làm được hôm nay chớ để ngày mai

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

Topics: Sun & moon

Common questions

What does “make hay while the sun shines” mean?

Take advantage of an opportunity while it is available Literally: harvest hay during sunny weather

Is “make hay while the sun shines” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

What is the closest equivalent?

“việc gì làm được hôm nay chớ để ngày mai” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.