Chinese word dictionary

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)

Practice word

Word information

Simplified临渴掘井

Traditional臨渴掘井

Pinyinlín kě jué jǐng

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

临lín

to draw near, to approach; to descend

渴kě

thirsty, parched; to yearn, to pine for

掘jué

to dig, to excavate

井jǐng

well, mine shaft, pit

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.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

光临guānglín

(formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend

临时línshí

as the time draws near; at the last moment; temporary; interim; ad hoc

面临miànlín

to face sth; to be confronted with

渴望kěwàng

to thirst for; to long for

来临láilín

to approach; to come closer

濒临bīnlín

on the edge of; (fig.) on the verge of; close to