Japanese meaning of 早起きは三文の徳
Reading:
はやおきはさんもんのとく (hayaoki wa sanmon no toku)
English Translation:
The early bird catches the worm
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
The early bird catches the worm.
Cultural Context:
Matches Japan’s cultural emphasis on punctuality and early starts in work and study.
早く行動する人が有利を得るという意味。
時間厳守や早朝からの活動を重んじる日本文化と一致する。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 早起き (hayaoki) = “early rising” (verbal noun)
• は (wa) = topic particle
• 三文 (sanmon) = “three mon” (small amount of money; noun)
• の (no) = possessive/attributive particle
• 徳 (toku) = “gain/benefit” (noun)
Topic–comment noun phrase with の linking a quantity to a benefit, forming a compact expression of cause and result.
Trap for English Speakers
Could be taken as literal profit from waking early, missing the metaphor for benefits of early action.
Example
Basic Example
朝早く起きると気持ちが良く、まさに早起きは三文の徳だと感じた。
Waking up early feels great—truly the early bird catches the worm.
Applied Example
日の出から走り込んで、やっぱり早起きは三文の徳だと思った。
Running since sunrise made me realize the early bird catches the worm.