临渴掘井 in English lin2 ke3 jue2 jing3 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) not to dig a well until one is thirsty
  • to be unprepared and seek help at the last minute (idiomatic expression)

Simplified Characters

临 渴 掘 井

Traditional Characters

臨 渴 掘 井

Pinyin

lin2 ke3 jue2 jing3

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

临lin2to face 渴ke3thirsty 掘jue2to dig 井jing3Jing, one of the 28 constellations of Chinese astronomy