泥菩萨过江，自身难保 ní pú sà guò jiāng ， zì shēn nán bǎo

unable to save oneself, let alone others

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. unable to save oneself, let alone others
  2. 2. like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety

Characters

Character Meaning
泥 ní HSK 6
mud; clay; paste
菩 pú
Bodhisattva
萨 sà
Bodhisattva; surname Sa
过 guò HSK 2
to cross; to go over; to pass (time)
江 jiāng HSK 4
river; surname Jiang
自 zì HSK 3
self; oneself; from
身 shēn HSK 2
body; oneself; personally
难 nán HSK 3
difficult; difficult (to...); difficulty
保 bǎo HSK 4
to protect; to ensure; to guarantee