gap1 si4 pou5 fat6 goek3急時抱佛腳急时抱佛脚
Jyutpinggap1 si4 pou5 fat6 goek3
Yalegāp sìh póuh faht geuk
Definition
To cram or seek help at the very last minute; to procrastinate and make a frantic final effort.
colloquialworkschool
How it's used
This idiom describes the desperate act of seeking help or working frantically only when a deadline is imminent. It implies a lack of preparation and suggests that the effort is likely too little too late. It is frequently used to criticize students or colleagues who fail to plan ahead.
Examples
You are procrastinating again, studying only right before the exam.
It is useless to cram at the last minute if you do not do your homework regularly.
Related words
Common phrases
to cram at the last minute
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a positive strategy of seeking help when needed, but it is almost exclusively used to criticize poor time management or laziness.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
