ProverbWisdom
Polish origin
Polish originNie dziel skóry na niedźwiedziu
Meaning: Don't count on gains you don't have yet.
Literally: Don't share out the skin while it's still on the bear
Example: “Jeszcze nie dostałeś tej pracy. Nie dziel skóry na niedźwiedziu.” — You haven't got the job yet: don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 4 more languages
English: Don't count your chickens before they hatch
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)
Korean: 김칫국부터 마신다 (Gimchitgukbuteo masinda) (literally: Drinking the kimchi soup first)
Origin: Don't divide up the skin while it is still on the bear, as in La Fontaine's fable of the bear's skin sold before the hunt.
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