平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚
píng​shí​bù​shāo​xiāng​lín​shí​bào​fó​jiǎo

to panic at the last minute

píng​shí​bù​shāo​xiāng​lín​shí​bào​fó​jiǎo to panic at the last minute
  1. 平时 平時 píng​shí adverbnoun
    usually
    ordinarily; in normal times; under normal circumstances
  2. 不 bù adverb
    not
    Negative adverb used before verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate negation; also used as a bound-form prefix to form terms with opposite meanings
  3. 烧香 燒香 shāo​xiāng
    to burn incense
    to burn incense sticks when praying to gods or ancestors
  4. ， lín
    non-Chinese
  5. 临时抱佛脚 臨時抱佛腳 lín​shí​bào​fó​jiǎo
    to seek help at the last moment
    (idiom) to wait until the last moment to seek help or take action; literally "to clasp the Buddha's feet only when in trouble" instead of preparing in advance

píng​shí​bù​shāo​xiāng​lín​shí​bào​fó​jiǎo to make a last-minute effort
  1. 平时 平時 píng​shí adverbnoun
    usually
    ordinarily; in normal times; under normal circumstances
  2. 不 bù adverb
    not
    Negative adverb used before verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate negation; also used as a bound-form prefix to form terms with opposite meanings
  3. 烧香 燒香 shāo​xiāng
    to burn incense
    to burn incense sticks when praying to gods or ancestors
  4. ， lín
    non-Chinese
  5. 临时 臨時 lín​shí adverb
    at the last moment
    as the time draws near; at the moment something happens; right when a situation arises
  6. 抱佛脚 抱佛腳 bào​fó​jiǎo verb + noun
    to make a last-minute effort
    To scramble to make up for a lack of preparation or make a frantic, last-ditch effort; often used in the context of cramming for an exam.