Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«No cuentes los pollos antes de que nazcan.»
Word for word
Don't count the chicks before they are born.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Used to warn someone not to assume success before it happens. Very common in everyday conversation about plans and expectations.
Hear it in a sentence
No cuentes los pollos antes de que nazcan; espera a firmar el contrato antes de celebrar.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch; wait to sign the contract before celebrating.
Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your exact level.