lam4 gap1 pou5 fat6 goek3臨急抱佛腳临急抱佛脚

Jyutpinglam4 gap1 pou5 fat6 goek3

Yalelàhm gāp póuh faht geuk

語句

Definition

To make a last-minute scramble to seek help or remedy a situation.

colloquialdaily actionswork

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong sense of criticism regarding poor planning or procrastination. It is almost exclusively used to describe someone who is desperately trying to fix a situation that could have been avoided with consistent effort. While it literally mentions Buddha, it is a secular expression used for any context, from school assignments to work projects.

Examples

nei5你haau2考si5試cin4前sin1先lai4嚟lam4臨gap1急pou5抱fat6佛goek3腳，bin1邊dou6度gau3夠si4時gaan3間wan1溫syu1書aa4呀？

You are only starting to cram right before the exam, how could you have enough time to study?

ping4平si4時m4唔zou6做gung1功fo3課，ji4而gaa1家lam4臨gap1急pou5抱fat6佛goek3腳dou1都mou5冇jung6用㗎gaa2喇。

You didn't do your homework, so trying to cram at the last minute now is useless.

Common phrases

lam4臨gap1急pou5抱fat6佛goek3腳dou1都mou5冇jung6用

It is useless to cram at the last minute.

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe someone who is simply working hard. It specifically implies that the effort is being made too late and is likely ineffective or desperate.