笨鸟先飞 — “A clumsy bird has to start flying early”

笨鸟先飞 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a clumsy bird has to start flying early”. Metaphorically, it refers to a less capable person who, fearing falling behind, starts working or studying earlier and puts in extra effort to compensate for their shortcomings. Literally, “clumsy bird flies first”.

Frequency

笨鸟先飞 Pronunciation and Pinyin

笨鸟先飞 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
笨	bèn	11	foolish, clumsy, or dull
鸟	niǎo	5	a bird
先	xiān	6	First, before, or ancestors
飞	fēi	3	to fly rapidly

Example Sentence with 笨鸟先飞

小李知道自己接受新知识的速度比别人慢一点，所以他总是笨鸟先飞，提前预习功课，这样上课时就能更好地理解。

Xiao Li knew his pace for grasping new knowledge was a bit slower than others, so he always made sure to 'start early like a clumsy bird', previewing his lessons in advance so he could understand better during class.

Origin and Story of 笨鸟先飞

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Le Yangzi's wife was a virtuous woman. One day, Le Yangzi found a piece of gold and happily brought it home to his wife. His wife said, 'A person with ambition sets strict standards for themselves. Bringing home something you've merely picked up will tarnish your reputation.' Le Yangzi felt deeply ashamed, returned the gold to its original place, and then his wife said, 'You are rather slow, so you must 'fly early like a clumsy bird'; you should go out and pursue your studies.'

So, Le Yangzi went out to study. However, a year later, Le Yangzi returned home because he missed his wife. His wife led him to the weaving loom and said, 'This cloth is woven inch by inch, foot by foot. Only through continuous accumulation can it become yards and bolts. If I were to cut it now, all my previous efforts would be wasted. Pursuing studies is just like weaving; you cannot give up halfway.'

Le Yangzi was deeply moved and went back to his studies, not returning home for seven years.