临头

臨頭

líntóu

verb #19,494

Meanings

1 to befall
2 to be imminent
3 to come upon one

Characters

to approach; to face

Examples

大难临头的时候，他却很镇定。

Dànàn líntóu de shíhou, tā què hěn zhèndìng.

When disaster befell him, he remained very calm.

事到临头才开始着急，已经晚了。

Shì dào líntóu cái kāishǐ zháojí, yǐjīng wǎn le.

Getting anxious only when things come to a head is already too late.

Tips

usage

临头 almost always appears with negative events: 大难临头 (disaster befalls), 大祸临头 (calamity looms), 死到临头 (death is near). Rarely used alone.

Stroke Order

临 lín

头 tóu