Chinese word

临渴掘井

Pronunciation

Pinyinlín kě jué jǐng

Meaning

idiomwait until the last minute

Example

不要等到困难才临渴掘井。bú yào děng dào kùn nán cái lín kě jué jǐng

Do not wait until difficulties arise before taking action.

Illustration for 临渴掘井 (wait until the last minute)

More examples

不要用临渴掘井的办法，事前准备更可靠。bú yào yòng lín kě jué jǐng de bàn fǎ shì qián zhǔn bèi gèng kě kào

Do not rely on last-minute action; preparing in advance is more reliable.

Core concept

Scrambling to create a needed resource only after the need has become urgent, instead of preparing it in advance.

Common phrases

不要用临渴掘井的办法bú yào yòng lín kě jué jǐng de bàn fǎ
don't rely on last-minute action
别再临渴掘井了bié zài lín kě jué jǐng le
stop waiting until the last minute

Similar words

临时抱佛脚lín shí bào fó jiǎo: Rushing to study or prepare only when an important moment is almost here.
亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láo: Making repairs or improvements after a loss or mistake to stop the same problem from happening again.
事后诸葛亮shì hòu zhū gé liàng: Judging or commenting on what should have been done after the outcome is already known.

Definition in Chinese

事情发生后才匆忙应付、临时凑合以解决眼前问题，但往往不能产生长远效果的行为或状态。shì qíng fā shēng hòu cái cōng máng yìng fù lín shí còu hé yǐ jiě jué yǎn qián wèn tí dàn wáng wǎng bù néng chǎn shēng cháng yuǎn xiào guǒ de xíng wéi huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

临渴掘井 (línkějuéjǐng, "dig a well when thirsty") pairs an immediate need for water with work that should have started earlier, which gives the idiom its warning about acting too late.

Usage tips

Unlike a neutral description of being late, this idiom usually signals that earlier planning would have prevented the difficulty.