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泥菩萨过江，自身难保
nípúsàguòjiāng,zìshēnnánbǎo
Traditional: 泥菩薩過江，自身難保
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety / unable to save oneself, let alone others
Character Breakdown
泥
ní
mud, earth, clay; plaster, paste
HSK 6
菩
pú
herb, aromatic plant
萨
sà
Buddhist diety; used in transliterations
过
guò
pass; to go across, to pass through
HSK 2
江
jiāng
large river; the Yangtze; surname
HSK 4
自
zì
self; private, personal; from
HSK 3
身
shēn
body, torso; person; pregnancy
HSK 2
难
nán
hard, difficult, arduous; unable
HSK 3
保
bǎo
to safeguard, to protect, to defend, to care for
HSK 4
Additional Information
Category
Chinese
HSK Character Level
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HSK Word Level
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