bèn​niǎo​xiān​fēi

the slow need to start early

Senses

笨鸟先飞/ 笨鳥先飛 bèn​niǎo​xiān​fēi the slow need to start early

lit. the clumsy bird flies early; to work hard or start sooner to compensate for one's limited abilities (often used as a humble expression about oneself)

References

variant 笨鸟先飞/笨鳥先飛 坌鸟先飞/坌鳥先飛
variant 笨鸟先飞/笨鳥先飛 笨雀先飞/笨雀先飛