泥菩薩過江，自身難保 ní pú sà guò jiāng ， zì shēn nán bǎo

DEFINITIONS

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

CHARACTERS

泥 ní
HSK 6
mud, mire; earth, clay; plaster
菩 pú herb, aromatic plant
薩 sà transliteration of 'sat' in 'bodhisattva,' etc.
過 guò pass, pass through, go across
江 jiāng
HSK 4
large river; yangzi; surname
自 zì
HSK 3
self, private, personal; from
身 shēn
HSK 2
body; trunk, hull; rad. no. 158
難 nán difficult, arduous, hard; unable
保 bǎo
HSK 4
protect, safeguard, defend, care