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泥菩萨过江，自身难保

ní pú sà guò jiāng , zì shēn nán bǎo

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Definitions

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

Child Words of 泥菩萨过江，自身难保

泥菩萨
ní pú sà

clay Bodhisattva

难
nán

difficult (to...)

自身
zì shēn

itself

自
zì

self

身
shēn

body

过
guò

to cross

保
bǎo

Bulgaria

菩
pú

Bodhisattva

难
nàn

disaster

菩萨
pú sà

Bodhisattva (Buddhism)

过
guo

(experienced action marker)

难保
nán bǎo

hard to say

自身难保
zì shēn nán bǎo

powerless to defend oneself (idiom); helpless

泥
ní

mud

泥
nì

restrained

江
jiāng

river