抱佛腳

See also: 抱佛脚

Chinese

		to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug or embrace to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug or embrace; surround; cherish	Buddha; Buddhism	role; foot; base
trad. (抱佛腳)		抱	佛	腳
simp. (抱佛脚)		抱	佛	脚
Literally: “to grab Buddha's foot”.

Etymology

Short for the following saying:

平時不燒香，臨時抱佛腳。 [MSC, trad.]
平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚。 [MSC, simp.]

Píngshí bù shāoxiāng, línshí bàofójiǎo. [Pinyin]

Never burning incense when all is well, but clasping Buddha’s feet when one is in trouble.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bàofójiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pou⁵ fat⁶ goek³
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): phāu-hu̍t-kha / phō-pu̍t-kha

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bàofójiǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bàofójiǎo
    • Wade–Giles: pao⁴-fo²-chiao³
    • Yale: bàu-fwó-jyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bawforjeau
    • Palladius: баофоцзяо (baofoczjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɑʊ̯⁵¹ fu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pou⁵ fat⁶ goek³
    • Yale: póuh faht geuk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pou⁵ fat⁹ goek⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: pou⁵ fed⁶ gêg³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰou̯¹³ fɐt̚² kœːk̚³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phāu-hu̍t-kha / phō-pu̍t-kha
    • Tâi-lô: phāu-hu̍t-kha / phō-pu̍t-kha
    • Phofsit Daibuun: phauxhudqaf, phoixpudqaf
    • IPA (Xiamen): /pʰau²²⁻²¹ hut̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/, /pʰo²²⁻²¹ put̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰau⁴¹⁻²² hut̚²⁴⁻² kʰa³³/, /pʰo⁴¹⁻²² put̚²⁴⁻² kʰa³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /pʰau²²⁻²¹ hut̚¹²¹⁻²¹ kʰa⁴⁴/, /pʰo²²⁻²¹ put̚¹²¹⁻²¹ kʰa⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /pʰau³³⁻¹¹ hut̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/, /pʰo³³⁻¹¹ put̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰau³³⁻²¹ hut̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/, /pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ put̚⁴⁻³² kʰa⁴⁴/

Idiom

(deprecated template usage) 抱佛腳

1. to leave something to do at the last minute; to make a last-minute effort
2. (rare) to profess Buddhism