臨時抱佛腳

Chinese

		temporary; provisional; ad hoc temporary; provisional; ad hoc; interim; at the time when something happens; at the last moment	to grab the Buddha's foot; to leave something to do at the last minute; to make a last-minute effort
trad. (臨時抱佛腳)		臨時	抱佛腳
simp. (临时抱佛脚)		临时	抱佛脚
Literally: “to grab the Buddha's feet at the last minute”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): línshí bào fójiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lam⁴ si⁴ pou⁵ fat⁶ goek³
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶lin-zy ⁶bau ⁸veq-ciaq

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: línshí bào fójiǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: línshíh bào fójiǎo
    • Wade–Giles: lin²-shih² pao⁴ fo²-chiao³
    • Yale: lín-shŕ bàu fwó-jyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linshyr baw forjeau
    • Palladius: линьши бао фоцзяо (linʹši bao foczjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ pɑʊ̯⁵¹ fu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lam⁴ si⁴ pou⁵ fat⁶ goek³
    • Yale: làhm sìh póuh faht geuk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lam⁴ si⁴ pou⁵ fat⁹ goek⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: lem⁴ xi⁴ pou⁵ fed⁶ gêg³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐm²¹ siː²¹ pʰou̯¹³ fɐt̚² kœːk̚³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶lin-zy ⁶bau ⁸veq-ciaq
    • MiniDict: lin^去 zy bau^去 veh^入 ciah
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³lin-zr ³bau ⁵veq-jiaq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /lin²² zz̩⁴⁴ bɔ²³ vəʔ¹¹ t͡ɕiaʔ²³/

Idiom

臨時抱佛腳

1. to do something hurriedly only at the last minute; to make a last-minute effort, especially studying for examinations

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 臨時抱佛腳 (“to do something hurriedly only at the last minute”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		臨時抱佛腳, 急來抱佛腳, 急時抱佛腳, 急則抱佛腳, 抱佛腳, 平時不燒香，臨時抱佛腳
Mandarin	Taiwan	臨時抱佛腳, 抱佛腳, 平時不燒香，臨時抱佛腳
Cantonese	Guangzhou	閒時唔燒香，急時抱佛腳, 平時唔燒香，臨急抱佛腳
	Hong Kong	臨急抱佛腳, 平時唔燒香，臨急抱佛腳
	Kaiping (Chikan)	臨嫁錐耳
Northern Min	Jian'ou	抱佛跤
Southern Min	Xiamen	抱佛跤
Wu	Shanghai	臨時抱佛腳