Dictionary

don't count your chickens before they're hatched en · X

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

First attested in English in Thomas Howell's 1570 New Sonnets and Pretty Pamphlets in the couplet "Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be, / Waye wordes as winde, till thou finde certaintee", possibly deriving from similar medieval and early modern Latin fables and maxims.

Meanings

1. One should not depend upon a favorable (and typically overoptimistic) outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur.
   • [...] Make Fools believe in their fore-seeing / Of things before they are in Being; / To swallow Gudgeons ere th' are catch'd, / And count their Chickens ere th' are hatch'd, [...] [1663 (indicated as 1664), [Samuel Butler], “The Second Part of Hudibras. Canto III.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 175:

Forms

Relateds

halloo before one is out of the wood · out of the woods · it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings

Synonyms

don't get your hopes up · don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear

Translations (72)

uk не хвали́ день до ве́чора (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · yi פֿון דעם בער אין וואַלד זאָל מען די פֿעל נישט פֿאַרקויפֿן (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · it non cantare vittoria troppo presto (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · tr dereyi görmeden paçaları sıvamak (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ar لَا تَشْتَرِي ٱلسَّمَكَ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلْبَحْرِ بَلِ ٱنْتَظِرْ حَتَّى يُصْطَادَ (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pl nie dziel skóry na niedźwiedziu (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · sv ta inte ut segern i förskott (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · bg пилците се броят наесен (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · hu ne igyál előre a medve bőrére (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · cmn (別做)白日夢 /(别做)白日梦 (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · cs neříkej hop, dokud nepřeskočíš (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pt contar com o ovo no cu da galinha (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · hu nyugtával dicsérd a napot (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · wa i n' fåt nén vinde l' oû k' est co e cou del poye (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ru не дели́ шку́ру неуби́того медве́дя (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · uk не кажи гоп, поки не перескочиш (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · bg не казвай хоп преди да си скочил (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · la ante victoriam ne canas triumphum (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · sq peshku në det, tigani në zjarr (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pt não conte com o ovo dentro da galinha (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · vi đếm cua trong lỗ (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ro nu zice hop până nu ai sărit (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · srn no kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · fi älä nuolaise ennen kuin tipahtaa (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · nv tʼáadoo danitʼání íítiʼ (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pl nie chwal dnia przed zachodem słońca (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · es hasta el rabo, todo es toro (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · es no vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · gd mol an latha math mu oidhche (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pt não conte com o ovo antes da galinha botar (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · th สงครามยังไม่จบ อย่าเพิ่งนับศพทหาร (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · es no cantes victoria (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · fi älä nylje karhua ennen kuin se on kaadettu (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · fr il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ca no diguis blat fins que no sigui al sac i ben lligat (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ru цыпля́т по о́сени счита́ют (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · es no echar las campanas al vuelo (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · te ఆలు లేదు, చూలు లేదు, కొడుకు పేరు సోమలింగము (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · gd mol an deireadh (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · uk не лізь поперед батька в пекло (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · pl nie mów hop, póki nie przeskoczysz (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · nb selge skinnet før bjørnen er skutt (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · fa جوجه رو آخر پاییز می شمارند (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · eo la manĝota fiŝo estas ankoraŭ en la rivero (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · af moenie die beer se vel verkoop voordat hy geskiet is nie (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · cmn (勿打)如意算盤 /(勿打)如意算盘 (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · uk хвали́ день уве́чері, а життя́ пе́ред сме́ртю (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · is ekki er sopið kálið þó í ausuna sé komið (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · mi kāti te toitoi okewa (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · it non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ro nu vinde blana ursului din pădure (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · de man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verteilen, bevor er erlegt ist (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · cs nechval dne před večerem (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ko 김칫국부터 마신다 (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · is fyrr skal fuglinn veiddur en steiktur (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ru не говори́ «гоп», пока́ не перепры́гнешь (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · nl de huid niet verkopen voor de beer geschoten is (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ro toamna se numără bobocii (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · sv sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · hi सूत न कपास जुलाहों में लट्ठम-लट्ठा (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ja 捕らぬ狸の皮算用 (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · az cücəni payızda sayarlar (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · lt viščiukus skaičiuoja vakarais (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · fur no stâ vendi le piel dal ors prime di vêlu copât (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · mi ahakoa iti te koutu whenua e kore e taea te parepare (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · ga ní breac é go raibh sé ar an bport (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · da pels ikke bjørnen før den er skudt (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · gd na h-abair diug a choidhche ris an eun gus an dig e às an ugh (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · cmn (別)一廂情願 /一厢情愿 (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · gd dèan fanaid air do sheann-bhrògan nuair a gheibh thu do bhrògan ùra (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · de man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur) · mhr маскажым кучыде коваштыжым ит ужале (one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur)