臨渴掘井

See also: 临渴掘井

Chinese

	to face; to overlook; to arrive to face; to overlook; to arrive; to be (just) about to; just before	thirsty	to dig a well
trad. (臨渴掘井)	臨	渴	掘井
simp. (临渴掘井)	临	渴	掘井
Literally: “to dig a well when one is thirsty”.

Etymology

Based on the Annals of Master Yan:

溺而後問隊，迷而後問路，譬之猶臨難而遽鑄兵，臨噎而遽掘井，雖速亦無及已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

溺而后问队，迷而后问路，譬之犹临难而遽铸兵，临噎而遽掘井，虽速亦无及已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Annals of Master Yan, c. 3^rd century BCE

Nì érhòu wèn suì, mí érhòu wèn lù, pì zhī yóu línnàn ér jù zhùbīng, lín yē ér jù juéjǐng, suī sù yì wú jí yǐ. [Pinyin]

To ask the way after drowning and to ask for directions after getting lost is like, for example, quickly making weapons when facing a disaster or quickly digging a well when choking; though fast, it is too late.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): línkějuéjǐng

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄐㄧㄥˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lam⁴ hot³ gwat⁶ zeng²
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lîm-khat-ku̍t-chíⁿ / lîm-khat-ku̍t-chéng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: línkějuéjǐng
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄐㄧㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: línkějyuéjǐng
  - Wade–Giles: lin²-kʻo³-chüeh²-ching³
  - Yale: lín-kě-jywé-jǐng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linkeejyuejiing
  - Palladius: линькэцзюэцзин (linʹkɛczjueczin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lam⁴ hot³ gwat⁶ zeng²
  - Yale: làhm hot gwaht jéng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lam⁴ hot⁸ gwat⁹ dzeng²
  - Guangdong Romanization: lem⁴ hod³ gued⁶ zéng²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐm²¹ hɔːt̚³ kʷɐt̚² t͡sɛːŋ³⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîm-khat-ku̍t-chíⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: lîm-khat-ku̍t-tsínn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: limqatkudcvie
  - IPA (Xiamen): /lim²⁴⁻²² kʰat̚³²⁻⁴ kut̚⁴⁻³² t͡sĩ⁵³/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîm-khat-ku̍t-chéng
  - Tâi-lô: lîm-khat-ku̍t-tsíng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: limqatkudzeang
  - IPA (Taipei): /lim²⁴⁻¹¹ kʰat̚³²⁻⁴ kut̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪŋ⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lim²³⁻³³ kʰat̚³²⁻⁴ kut̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪŋ⁴¹/

Idiom

臨渴掘井

(figurative) to fail to make a timely preparation and look for a solution at the last minute
- 宜未雨而綢繆，毋臨渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  宜未雨而绸缪，毋临渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: Zhu Yongchun, Zhu Zi's Family Maxims, 17^th century CE
  Yí wèi yǔ ér chóumóu, wú lín kě ér jué jǐng. [Pinyin]
  One should, when it is not yet raining, bind tightly the window. One should not wait until one is thirsty to dig a well.
  i.e. One should prepare before it is too late.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 臨渴掘井 (“to fail to make a timely preparation and look for a solution at the last minute”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		臨渴掘井, 臨渴穿井, 臨噎掘井
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	臨渴掘井
Northeastern Mandarin	Singapore	臨渴掘井
Cantonese	Guangzhou	臨急開坑, 屎急挖糞坑
	Hong Kong	臨渴掘井
	Dongguan	臨急起廁坑
Southern Min	Xiamen	屎緊開礐, 屎緊才開礐, 屎緊才欲開礐, 屎緊才欲開礐，喙焦才欲開井, 欲嫁才縛跤
	Quanzhou	屎緊才欲開礐，喙焦才欲開井
	Zhangzhou	屎緊才欲開礐，喙焦才欲開井

Antonyms

未雨綢繆／未雨绸缪 (wèiyǔchóumóu)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (臨渴掘井):

→ Japanese: 臨(りん)渇(かつ)掘(くっ)井(せい) (rinkatsukussei)
→ Korean: 임갈굴정(臨渴掘井) (imgalguljeong)
→ Vietnamese: lâm khát quật tỉnh (臨渴掘井)