DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
臨渴掘井
简 临渴掘井 · 繁 臨渴掘井Mandarin · pinyin lín kě jué jǐng
Meanings
- lit. not to dig a well until one is thirsty
- to be unprepared and seek help at the last minute (idiom)
Characters in this entry
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.
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Mandarin tones
2–3–2–3 · lin2 ke3 jue2 jing3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lam4 hot3 gwat6 zeng2
Cantonese word readings for 臨渴掘井. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
lam4 hot3 gwat6 zeng2
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (figurative) to fail to make a timely preparation and look for a solution at the last minute
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack