遠水救不了近火

water in a distant place is of little use in putting out a fire right here / (fig.) a slow remedy does not address the current emergency

(completed action marker) / (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) / (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)

to finish / to achieve / variant of 瞭|了[liao3] / to understand clearly

(of eyes) bright / clear-sighted / to understand clearly

unofficial variant of 瞭[liao4]

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

variant of 救[jiu4]

to save / to assist / to rescue

surname Shui

water / river / liquid / beverage / additional charges or income / (of clothes) classifier for number of washes

fire / urgent / ammunition / fiery or flaming / internal heat (Chinese medicine) / hot (popular) / classifier for military units (old) / Kangxi radical 86

near / close to / approximately

far / distant / remote / (intensifier in a comparison) by far / much (lower etc)

to distance oneself from (classical)

no thanks (used to politely but informally decline)

unable to / without end

(as a resultative verb suffix) unable to (do sth) / (pattern: {verb} + 個|个[ge5] + ~) without end; incessantly