Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== línkějuéjǐng: 临渴掘井 - To Dig a Well When Thirsty; To Act Too Late ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** lín kě jué jǐng, 临渴掘井, Chinese idiom for procrastination, unpreparedness, act too late, dig a well when thirsty, last-minute effort, Chinese proverb about planning, foresight. * **Summary:** The Chinese idiom **临渴掘井 (lín kě jué jǐng)** literally translates to "digging a well when you're already thirsty." It vividly criticizes the foolishness of procrastination and unpreparedness, describing someone who waits until a crisis hits to start looking for a solution. This chengyu is a powerful cultural reminder of the importance of foresight and planning, often used to warn against waiting until the last minute. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** lín kě jué jǐng * **Part of Speech:** Chengyu (成语) / Idiom * **HSK Level:** N/A (A common idiom using characters from HSK 4-5 levels) * **Concise Definition:** To start digging a well only when one is thirsty—to begin acting when it is already too late. * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine the panic and futility of desperately trying to dig a hole for water when you're already parched and about to collapse from thirst. That's the feeling of `临渴掘井`. This idiom captures the stress, regret, and inefficiency of tackling a predictable problem only at the very last second. It's a critique of poor planning and a classic "I told you so" expression. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **临 (lín):** To approach, to face, to be on the verge of. * **渴 (kě):** Thirsty. * **掘 (jué):** To dig. * **井 (jǐng):** A well for water. The characters combine literally and powerfully: "On the verge of being thirsty, (one starts to) dig a well." The sequence of events is illogical—the preparation (digging) should come long before the need (thirst). This makes the metaphorical meaning immediately clear. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * `临渴掘井` is deeply rooted in a cultural appreciation for foresight, planning, and prudence. It's the negative reflection of the highly valued concept of **未雨绸缪 (wèiyǔchóumóu)**, which means "to repair the house before the rainy season." Chinese philosophy and strategic thinking, from ancient texts like *The Art of War* to modern business practices, emphasize anticipating future needs and preparing for them well in advance. This idiom serves as a common cautionary tale against a reactive, short-sighted approach to life's challenges. * **Comparison to a Western Concept:** In English, a similar idea is expressed by "closing the barn door after the horse has bolted." However, there's a subtle difference. "Closing the barn door" implies that the negative event has already happened and is irreversible; the preventative action is now completely useless. `临渴掘井` focuses more on the frantic, panicked *start* of the effort. You're not just noting the horse is gone; you're now desperately and probably unsuccessfully trying to build a new horse from scratch. It highlights the foolishness of the *action* being taken too late, rather than just the lateness of the hour. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * `临渴掘井` is used frequently in a wide range of situations, always with a negative and critical connotation. It can be a gentle reprimand, a harsh criticism, or a regretful self-assessment. * **In Education and Parenting:** A parent might say this to a child who starts studying for a major exam the night before. "你现在才开始复习，不是临渴掘井吗？" (You're only starting to review now, isn't that digging a well when you're thirsty?) * **In Business and Politics:** It's often used in formal settings to criticize poor strategy. A manager might critique a competitor's strategy by saying they are "临渴掘井" for only starting R&D on a product after a rival has already dominated the market. * **In Daily Conversation:** It can be used to describe any situation where someone failed to prepare. For example, trying to find an umbrella during a sudden downpour or looking for a charger when your phone is at 1%. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 平时不好好学习，考试前才熬夜复习，真是**临渴掘井**。 * Pinyin: Píngshí bù hǎohǎo xuéxí, kǎoshì qián cái áoyè fùxí, zhēnshi **lín kě jué jǐng**. * English: Not studying properly usually, and then staying up all night to cram before the exam, is a perfect example of digging a well when you're thirsty. * Analysis: This is a classic and very common usage, perfectly illustrating the concept of last-minute, panicked preparation. * **Example 2:** * 等到公司要裁员了才想起要提升自己的技能，这不就是**临渴掘井**吗？ * Pinyin: Děngdào gōngsī yào cáiyuán le cái xiǎngqǐ yào tíshēng zìjǐ de jìnnéng, zhè bù jiùshì **lín kě jué jǐng** ma? * English: Waiting until the company is about to have layoffs to think about improving your skills, isn't that just acting too late? * Analysis: This sentence uses the rhetorical question "这不就是...吗？" (Isn't this just...?) to emphasize the obvious foolishness of the action. * **Example 3:** * 很多年轻人对存钱不以为然，等到急需用钱时才发现自己是在**临渴掘井**。 * Pinyin: Hěnduō niánqīngrén duì cúnqián bùyǐwéirán, děngdào jíxū yòngqián shí cái fāxiàn zìjǐ shì zài **lín kě jué jǐng**. * English: Many young people don't take saving money seriously, and only when they urgently need it do they realize they are digging a well when thirsty. * Analysis: This example shows the idiom used to describe a state of self-realization or regret. * **Example 4:** * 我们必须提前制定好应急预案，不能等到灾难发生了才**临渴掘井**。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū tíqián zhìdìng hǎo yìngjí yù'àn, bùnéng děngdào zāinàn fāshēng le cái **lín kě jué jǐng**. * English: We must formulate an emergency plan in advance; we can't wait until a disaster strikes to start scrambling. * Analysis: This demonstrates how the idiom is used in a formal context as a warning against inaction. The structure "不能...才..." (cannot wait until... to...) is common. * **Example 5:** * 他和女朋友的关系已经很差了，现在才想买礼物挽回，有点**临渴掘井**的感觉。 * Pinyin: Tā hé nǚpéngyǒu de guānxì yǐjīng hěn chà le, xiànzài cái xiǎng mǎi lǐwù wǎnhuí, yǒudiǎn **lín kě jué jǐng** de gǎnjué. * English: His relationship with his girlfriend is already terrible. Trying to win her back with gifts now feels a bit like digging a well when thirsty. * Analysis: The phrase "有点...的感觉" (feels a bit like...) softens the criticism, making it more of an observation than a harsh judgment. * **Example 6:** * 等到环境被严重污染了，我们才开始治理，这是典型的**临渴掘井**。 * Pinyin: Děngdào huánjìng bèi yánzhòng wūrǎn le, wǒmen cái kāishǐ zhìlǐ, zhè shì diǎnxíng de **lín kě jué jǐng**. * English: Waiting until the environment is severely polluted to start managing it is a classic case of acting too late. * Analysis: Here, "典型的" (diǎnxíng de) means "a typical example of" or "classic," reinforcing the idiom's meaning. * **Example 7:** * 别**临渴掘井**了，这个项目明天就要截止，你现在才开始做根本来不及。 * Pinyin: Bié **lín kě jué jǐng** le, zhège xiàngmù míngtiān jiù yào jiézhǐ, nǐ xiànzài cái kāishǐ zuò gēnběn láibují. * English: Stop trying this last-minute scramble! The project deadline is tomorrow, there's no way you'll make it if you only start now. * Analysis: "别...了" (bié...le) is a direct command telling someone to stop their futile, last-minute efforts. * **Example 8:** * 为了避免**临渴掘井**的窘境，我们应该养成定期体检的好习惯。 * Pinyin: Wèile bìmiǎn **lín kě jué jǐng** de jiǒngjìng, wǒmen yīnggāi yǎngchéng dìngqī tǐjiǎn de hǎo xíguàn. * English: To avoid the awkward situation of acting too late, we should develop the good habit of getting regular health check-ups. * Analysis: This shows the idiom used to describe a situation to be avoided. "窘境" (jiǒngjìng) means an awkward or difficult situation. * **Example 9:** * 这家公司从不进行员工培训，等需要用人的时候才发现没人可用，无异于**临渴掘井**。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī cóngbù jìnxíng yuángōng péixùn, děng xūyào yòngrén de shíhòu cái fāxiàn méirén kě yòng, wúyìyú **lín kě jué jǐng**. * English: This company never conducts employee training. When it needs qualified people, it discovers there are none available, which is no different from digging a well when thirsty. * Analysis: "无异于" (wúyìyú) is a formal way of saying "is no different from" or "is tantamount to." * **Example 10:** * 我警告过你早点儿准备，现在这样**临渴掘井**，谁也帮不了你。 * Pinyin: Wǒ jǐnggàoguo nǐ zǎodiǎnr zhǔnbèi, xiànzài zhèyàng **lín kě jué jǐng**, shéi yě bāngbuliǎo nǐ. * English: I warned you to prepare earlier. Now that you're in this last-minute panic, nobody can help you. * Analysis: A sentence that clearly expresses blame and the negative consequences of procrastination. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Not Just Any Last-Minute Action:** A common mistake is to use `临渴掘井` for any action done at the last minute. This idiom specifically applies to situations where **foresight was possible and necessary**. Running to the store for milk before it closes is just a last-minute errand; it's not `临渴掘井`. Forgetting to study for a final exam for three months and then cramming is `临渴掘井`. The key is the failure of long-term planning for a predictable need. * **False Friend: "Better late than never."** This English phrase has a positive connotation, suggesting that even a late action is good. `临渴掘井` is the opposite; it is inherently negative and critical. It implies that the late action is foolish, stressful, and likely to be ineffective. You wouldn't say "Well, at least you're `临渴掘井`!" as a form of encouragement. * **Incorrect Usage Example:** * 哎呀，我忘了回老板的邮件，现在赶紧回。我真是临渴掘井！ * (Aiya, I forgot to reply to the boss's email, I'll reply right now. I'm really digging a well when thirsty!) * **Why it's wrong:** While it's procrastinating on a small task, it doesn't fit the scale of the idiom. This is just a minor delay. A better fit would be if the person needed to prepare a massive report for a week and only started one hour before the meeting. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * **Antonyms (Emphasizing Preparedness):** * [[未雨绸缪]] (wèiyǔchóumóu) - To fix the roof before it rains; the direct antonym, meaning to prepare in advance. * [[有备无患]] (yǒu bèi wú huàn) - Where there is preparation, there is no disaster. * [[防患于未然]] (fáng huàn yú wèirán) - To prevent a problem before it even materializes. * **Synonyms (Emphasizing Last-Minute Action):** * [[临阵磨枪]] (lín zhèn mó qiāng) - To sharpen one's spear just before going into battle. A very close synonym. * [[急来抱佛脚]] (jí lái bào fó jiǎo) - To clasp the Buddha's feet when in distress; to seek help only when it's desperately needed. * **Similar but Distinct:** * [[亡羊补牢]] (wáng yáng bǔ láo) - To mend the sheep pen after a sheep has been lost. This also means acting late, but it often implies that the action is still worthwhile to prevent *future* losses. `临渴掘井` focuses more on the futility of solving the *current* crisis. * **Modern Concept:** * [[拖延症]] (tuōyánzhèng) - The modern, clinical-sounding term for "procrastination." `临渴掘井` is the classic, poetic description of the *consequence* of severe 拖延症.