临渴掘井 — “To make last-minute preparations”
临渴掘井 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make last-minute preparations”. To take action only when an urgent need arises, without prior foresight or planning; to address a problem only when it's too late. Literally, “Dig a well when thirsty”.
临渴掘井 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 临lín
- 渴kě
- 掘jué
- 井jǐng
临渴掘井 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 临渴掘井
Origin and Story of 临渴掘井
During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Zhao of Lu favored sycophants and ignored the advice of virtuous officials. Consequently, he was expelled from his state and fled to Qi. Only then did he realize the errors of his past actions.
Duke Jing of Qi, believing that Duke Zhao had repented, thought that if he were allowed to return, he might become a benevolent ruler.
However, Yan Zi, a high official of Qi, argued: "A person who falls into water only remembers to guard against slipping after they have already fallen in. A person who gets lost only realizes they should pay attention to their path after they have lost their way. It's like someone facing disaster rushing to forge weapons, or someone whose throat is choked by food rushing to dig a well for water (this is the meaning of the idiom 'lin ke jue jing'). Even if they act with the utmost speed at that moment, it's already too late. If one usually makes no preparations and takes no precautions for various matters, and only frantically takes measures to cope when things are about to happen, it simply won't work."
Idioms Related to 临渴掘井
Antonyms of 临渴掘井
More idioms starting with 临
- lín临shì事zhì制biàn变adapt to changing circumstances
- lín临shì事ér而jù惧to be cautious when confronting a task
- lín临jūn军duì对lěi垒confront an adversary in a contested situation
- lín临jūn军duì对zhèn阵to face the enemy in battle
- lín临bié别zèng赠yán言parting words of advice
- lín临bié别zèng赠yǔ语parting words of advice
- lín临wēi危xià下shí石kick someone when they're down
- lín临wēi危bù不luàn乱remain calm in danger
- lín临wēi危bù不jù惧face danger fearlessly
- lín临wēi危bù不dàn惮fearless in the face of danger
- lín临wēi危bù不náo挠unyielding in the face of danger
- lín临wēi危bù不gǒu苟Maintain integrity in the face of danger
Questions about 临渴掘井
- What does 临渴掘井 mean?
- 临渴掘井 (lín kě jué jǐng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make last-minute preparations”.
- How do you pronounce 临渴掘井?
- 临渴掘井 is pronounced lín kě jué jǐng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 临渴掘井 literally mean?
- Literally, 临渴掘井 means “Dig a well when thirsty”. It is used to mean “to make last-minute preparations”.
- Where does 临渴掘井 come from?
- 临渴掘井 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 临渴掘井?
- 到口渴才掘井。比喻事先没有准备，临时才想办法。