il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué

/il nə fo pa vɑ̃dʁ la po də l‿uʁs avɑ̃ də l‿avwaʁ tɥe/◆proverb
don't count your chickens before they hatch

Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué, alors attendons les résultats finaux.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch, so let's wait for the final results.

◆ What It Really Means
A warning against assuming success before it is achieved, emphasizing the importance of patience and not taking future outcomes for granted.
Literal Meaning
It is not wise to sell the bear's skin before you have killed the bear.
Literal Breakdown
il ne faut pasit is not necessary+vendre la peau de l'oursto sell the skin of the bear+avant de l'avoir tuébefore having killed it
◇ Mental Image
The mental image of a hunter trying to sell the skin of a bear that has not yet been caught, highlighting the foolishness of assuming success before it is achieved.
◈ When to Use
A team leader advises their team not to celebrate a project's success prematurely, saying, 'Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué.'
◉ Cultural Note
This proverb reflects the French cultural value of prudence and the importance of not taking success for granted, especially in uncertain situations.
informal

A warning against assuming success before it is achieved, emphasizing the importance of patience and not taking future outcomes for granted.

Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué, car le projet pourrait encore échouer.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch, because the project could still fail.

This proverb is often used to caution against premature celebration or overconfidence.

Related Phrases

ne pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tuéproverb
don't count your chickens before they hatch

Pro Tip

Usage Context

Use this proverb when someone is being overly confident about an uncertain future event or outcome.

Word Origin

This proverb originates from French folklore and hunting culture, where selling the bear's skin before killing the bear would be foolish and risky.

Usage Notes

This expression is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to advise against premature assumptions or actions based on uncertain outcomes.

Dictionnaire Français-Anglais