Don't count your chickens before they hatch

Meaning: Don't assume success before it happens.

Origin: The fable of the milkmaid and her pail, long printed with Aesop's though not among the ancient ones, tells of a girl who plans what she will buy with the chickens her eggs will produce — then tosses her head and spills the milk. Thomas Howell's New Sonnets (1570) has "Count not thy chickens that unhatched be."

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 4 more languages

French: Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué (literally: Don't sell the bear's skin before killing it)
Spanish: No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo (literally: Don't sell the bear's skin before hunting it)
Japanese: 捕らぬ狸の皮算用 (Toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō) (literally: Counting the skin of an uncaught raccoon dog)
German: Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben (literally: One should not praise the day before the evening)
Italian: Non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco (literally: Don't say "cat" until it's in the sack)
Dutch: Verkoop de huid niet voordat de beer geschoten is (literally: Don't sell the skin before the bear is shot)
Russian: Цыплят по осени считают (Tsyplyat po oseni schitayut) (literally: Chicks are counted in autumn)
Polish: Nie dziel skóry na niedźwiedziu (literally: Don't share out the skin while it's still on the bear)
Korean: 김칫국부터 마신다 (Gimchitgukbuteo masinda) (literally: Drinking the kimchi soup first)

On the map

Counting before the catch

The same idea in 24 versions, colored by the picture each one uses. Each country shows the version in its main language.

World map: the bear's skin (French, Spanish (Spain), Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian); chicks and eggs (English, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Persian, Portuguese); other catches (Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese); too soon (German, Korean, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Turkish, Finnish).

Download the full map with every saying (PNG)See all world maps

14 more languages on the map

Swedish Sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten“Don't sell the skin before the bear is shot”Source: Wiktionary; Swedish Riksdag motion 1997 ("known to everyone")
Norwegian Man skal ikke selge skinnet før bjørnen er skutt“Don't sell the skin before the bear is shot”Source: Wiktionary; Sublearn (Norwegian and Swedish idioms)
Danish Sælg ikke skindet, før bjørnen er skudt“Don't sell the skin before the bear is shot”Source: Videnscenter for Demens, "Kendte danske ordsprog"; Wiktionary (variant)
Hungarian Ne igyál előre a medve bőrére“Don't drink to the bear's skin in advance”Source: Wiktionary; Austria-Forum proverb collection; Daily News Hungary
Romanian Toamna se numără bobocii“The goslings are counted in autumn”Source: Wiktionary; Dicționar român-englez (dictionarromanenglez.ro)
Bulgarian Пилците се броят наесен (Pilcite se broyat naesen)“Chicks are counted in autumn”Source: Wiktionary; Sublearn (Bulgarian proverbs)
Persian جوجه را آخر پاییز می‌شمارند (Jūje rā ākhar-e pāyīz mī-shomārand)“Chicks are counted at the end of autumn”Source: Wiktionary; Abadis dictionary; Fararu (Iranian news site)
Portuguese Não conte com o ovo dentro da galinha“Don't count on the egg still inside the hen”Source: Wiktionary; Woxikon dictionary
Vietnamese Đếm cua trong lỗ“Counting crabs still in their hole”Source: Wiktionary; VietJack
Czech Neříkej hop, dokud nepřeskočíš“Don't say “hop” until you've jumped over”Source: Wiktionary; Woxikon dictionary
Slovak Nekrič hop, kým nepreskočíš“Don't shout “hop” until you've jumped over”Source: Startitup, quiz on Slovak proverbs
Ukrainian Не кажи гоп, поки не перескочиш (Ne kazhy hop, poky ne pereskochysh)“Don't say “hop” until you've jumped over”Source: Wiktionary; Multitran dictionary
Turkish Dereyi görmeden paçaları sıvamak“Rolling up your trousers before you see the stream”Source: Wiktionary; Bilgenç and Eğitim Sistem (Turkish idiom dictionaries)
Finnish Älä nuolaise ennen kuin tipahtaa“Don't lick it before it drips”Source: Wiktionary; Sublearn (Finnish proverbs)