先下手为强

先下手為強
xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng
idiom #20,785

Meanings

  1. 1 strike first to gain the upper hand
  2. 2 the early bird catches the worm
  3. 3 he who acts first has the advantage

Examples

HSK 5
Xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng, wǒmen mǎshàng qiān hétong ba.
Strike while the iron is hot - let's sign the contract right now.
HSK 6
Shāngchǎng rú zhànchǎng, xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng, wǒmen yào qiǎngxiān tuīchū xīn chǎnpǐn.
Business is like a battlefield - strike first to gain the advantage; we need to launch the new product before the competition.

Tips

usage
先下手为强 is paired with the phrase 后下手遭殃 ('those who act second suffer disaster') for emphasis. Together they form a proverbial couplet urging swift, preemptive action.

Stroke Order

xiān
xià
shǒu
wéi
qiáng