Chinese word dictionary

临渴穿井

lín kě chuān jǐng · lit. face thirst and dig a well (idiom); fig. not to make adequate provision; to act when it is too late

Practice word

Word information

Simplified临渴穿井

Traditional臨渴穿井

Pinyinlín kě chuān 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

穿chuān

to drill, to pierce; to dress, to wear

井jǐng

well, mine shaft, pit

How to learn 临渴穿井

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

穿过chuānguò

to pass through

渴望kěwàng

to thirst for; to long for

来临láilín

to approach; to come closer