“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” is a proverb about the danger of getting ahead of yourself — of celebrating a victory before it is actually won. It comes with a charming old fable attached. Here is its meaning, its origin, examples, and a few sayings that offer the same caution.
What Does “Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch” Mean?
The proverb means you should not rely on something good happening, or make plans based on it, until it has actually happened. Just as a farmer cannot know how many chicks will hatch from a clutch of eggs, you cannot be sure of a result before it arrives. It warns against premature confidence — against spending money you haven’t earned or celebrating a win that isn’t yet secure.
Origin of the Proverb
The lesson comes from one of Aesop’s Fables, “The Milkmaid and Her Pail.” A milkmaid carries a pail of milk to market and daydreams as she walks: she will sell the milk, buy eggs, raise chickens, sell them, and buy a fine new dress — at which point she tosses her head in imagined pride, spills the milk, and loses everything. The moral is plain: do not count on profits before they are real. The English proverb itself was recorded by the poet Thomas Howell in 1570, “Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be,” and has been warning daydreamers ever since.
Examples in a Sentence
- “You haven’t signed the contract yet, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
- “We were already planning how to spend the prize money — but don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
- “He bragged about the promotion before it was announced. Never count your chickens before they hatch.”
Similar Proverbs
- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — value the certain thing over the uncertain one.
- Don’t put the cart before the horse — do not do things in the wrong order.
- There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip — much can go wrong before a hoped-for result arrives.
- Don’t sell the bear’s skin before catching it — an old European version of the same warning.
For more shrewd, cautionary wisdom, see our money proverbs and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” mean?
It means you should not depend on or celebrate a good outcome until it has actually happened, because plans based on uncertain results can easily fall apart.
Where does the proverb come from?
It comes from Aesop’s fable “The Milkmaid and Her Pail,” and was recorded as an English proverb by Thomas Howell in 1570.
What is an example of the proverb?
Planning how to spend prize money before you have actually won it is a perfect example of counting your chickens before they hatch.
