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抱佛脚 (bào fó jiǎo) — to make a hasty last-minute effort (e.g., cramming for an exam, panic preparation)

Definition

A vivid idiom meaning 'to cram at the last minute,' literally 'to hug the Buddha's foot.' Always implies panic preparation, not ordinary late work — the image is begging for divine help because you didn't prepare earlier.

verb
to make a hasty last-minute effort (e.g., cramming for an exam, panic preparation)

Examples

  • 抱佛脚，。
    Kǎo shì qián yì tiān cái bào fó jiǎo, kěn dìng lái bù jí.
    Cramming the day before the exam — it's definitely too late.
  • ，。
    Tā píng shí bù xué xí, qī mò bào le sān tiān fó jiǎo.
    He doesn't study at all during the term, and only crammed for three days at the end of the semester.
  • 抱佛脚，。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù wǒ men bù néng lín shí bào fó jiǎo, bì xū tí qián guī huà.
    We can't just make a last-minute effort on this project — we have to plan ahead.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

抱bàoclutch
佛脚Buddha's feet
佛fóBuddha脚jiǎofeet
偏正Modifier + head

抱 is clutching, 佛 is Buddha, and 脚 is feet; clutching Buddha's feet means last-minute effort.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo抱
Same sound today

抱 pairs 扌 (hand) with 包; the hand part shows holding, while 包 supplies the sound and the sense of wrapping.

Open 抱 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú佛Fó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

佛 is made from 亻, a person, and 弗, which gives the sound.

Open 佛 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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