He perceived something through his own intuition. أَدْرَكَ أَمْراً بِجِنّهِ.

أَدْرَكَ أَمْراً بِجِنّهِ.
أي بِحِدثان عهده وقُرْبه.
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He perceived something through his own intuition.
That is, through its recent occurrence and proximity.
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المثل «أَدْرَكَ أَمْرًا بِجِنِّهِ» يعني: أدرك الشيء في بدايته أو عند حدوثه، أي وهو ما يزال حديث العهد وقريب الوقوع.
ومن أقرب المقابلات الإنجليزية: He caught it in its infancy.
أدركه وهو في بدايته. ← الأقرب.
He got in on the ground floor.
دخل فيه منذ بدايته.
He was there from the very beginning.
كان حاضرًا منذ البداية.
He caught it early.
أدركه مبكرًا.
He nipped it in the bud.
قضى عليه في مهده (إذا كان المقصود معالجة أمر قبل استفحاله).
وأقرب مقابل للمثل في المعنى هو:
He caught it in its infancy.
أو بصيغة مثلية أكثر شيوعًا:
He got in on the ground floor.
إذا كان المقصود أنه شهد الأمر أو أدركه منذ نشأته الأولى.
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The proverb "He caught it in its infancy" means: He grasped the matter at its very beginning or while it was still happening, i.e., while it was still new and about to occur.
Some of the closest English equivalents are:
He caught it in its infancy.
He got in on the ground floor.
He was there from the very beginning.
He caught it early.
He nipped it in the bud.
He nipped it in the bud (if the intention is to address a matter before it escalates).
The closest equivalent in meaning is:
He caught it in its infancy.
Or, in a more common proverbial form:
He got in on the ground floor.
If the intention is that he witnessed or grasped the matter from its very inception.