Dzielić skórę na niedźwiedziu
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What it means
Literally “to divide the bear’s skin while it’s still on the bear.” Means to count your chickens before they hatch — to divide up profits or spoils before the outcome is certain.
Vocabulary
- dzielić — to divide / to share
- skóra — skin / hide
- niedźwiedź — bear
Grammar note
'Na niedźwiedziu' uses the locative of 'niedźwiedź' after 'na' — the skin is still on the bear.
Cultural context
A hunting metaphor — celebrating before the bear is actually caught. The full proverb is 'nie dziel skóry na niedźwiedziu' (don't divide the bearskin while it's still on the bear).
Intermediate
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