lam4 zan6 mo4 coeng1臨陣磨槍临阵磨枪

Jyutpinglam4 zan6 mo4 coeng1

Yalelàhm jahn mòh chēung

Definition

To start preparing at the very last minute.

colloquialworkschool

How it's used

This idiom carries a slightly self-deprecating or critical tone, implying that the effort being made is likely too little too late. It is commonly used to describe someone who has procrastinated until the very last moment before a deadline or a test. While it describes the act of preparing, it emphasizes the lack of foresight rather than the diligence of the preparation itself.

Examples

nei5你ji4而gaa1家sin1先lai4嚟lam4臨zan6陣mo4磨coeng1槍，bin1邊dou6度lai4嚟dak1得cit3切aa4呀？

You are only doing last-minute preparation now, how could you possibly finish in time?

haau2考si5試cin4前zik6夕keoi5佢zung6仲lam4臨zan6陣mo4磨coeng1槍，tai2睇lai4嚟dou1都hai6係mou5冇jung6用㗎gaa2喇。

He is still cramming the night before the exam, it seems it is useless anyway.

Common phrases

lam4臨zan6陣mo4磨coeng1槍dou1都mou5冇jung6用

last-minute cramming is useless

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a positive term meaning hard work, but it is almost exclusively used to point out poor time management or a desperate, ineffective attempt to catch up.