Jen: What are you doing?
Mike: I’m preparing our winning celebration dance for a sure victory over Jeff’s team.
Jen: We’re not even close to finishing the game. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

본문에서 제가 Mike에게 “What are you doing? 너 지금 뭐하니?”라고 묻자 Mike가 “I’m preparing our winning celebration dance for a sure victory over Jeff’s team. 춤출 준비를 하고있어. 어차피 제프 팀에게 이긴 거나 다름 없으니까 말이야.”라고 하네요.

제가 “We’re not even close to finishing the game. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 야, 경기 끝나려면 아직 멀었어. 김칫국부터 마시지 마.”라고 했습니다. Now keep today’s expression ‘don’t count your chickens before they hatch’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jen: What are you doing?
Mike: I’m preparing our winning celebration dance for a sure victory over Jeff’s team.
Jen: We’re not even close to finishing the game. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Today’s expression is don’t count your chickens before they hatch. This means that you should not count on something before it happens. It’s something that you say in order to warn someone to wait until a good thing they are expecting has really happened before they make any plans about it.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 말 그대로 하면 ‘부화하기도 전에 병아리부터 세지 말라.’ 라는 뜻이죠. 부화는 동물의 알 속에서 새끼가 껍데기를 깨고 밖으로 나오는 것인데요. 몇 마리인지부터 세고 있으니 얼마나 성급한 노릇입니까? 한국 속담 ‘김칫국부터 마신다.’ 라는 의미와 같다고 보시면 됩니다.

오늘 본문에서 Mike가 벌써 다 이겼다고 생각하며 승리감에 취해서 춤출 준비를 하니까 제가 “We’re not even close to finishing the game. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”라고 했습니다. “야, 경기 끝나려면 아직 멀었어. 김칫국부터 마시지 마.” 라고 말이죠.

이렇게 무슨 일이 끝나기 전에 또는 어떤 결과가 나오기도 전에 성급하게 생각하거나 행동할 때 쓸 수 있는 표현이 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch 입니다. Now you know what today’s expression means right? Then we will listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jen: What are you doing?
Mike: I’m preparing our winning celebration dance for a sure victory over Jeff’s team.
Jen: We’re not even close to finishing the game. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Let’s review. Today’s expression means that you should not count on something before it happens. DON’T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH. Now try using this expression on your own.