临渴掘井
lín kě jué jǐng · lit. not to dig a well until one is thirsty; to be unprepared and seek help at the last minute (idiom)
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 临渴掘井
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
thirsty
光临guānglín(formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend
临时línshías the time draws near; at the last moment; temporary; interim; ad hoc
面临miànlínto face sth; to be confronted with
井jǐngJing, one of the 28 constellations of Chinese astronomy; surname Jing; a well; CL:口[kou3]; neat; orderly
渴望kěwàngto thirst for; to long for