Chinese word

自作自受

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì zuò zì shòu

Meaning

idiomget what one deserves

Example

他不听劝告，最后只能自作自受。tā bù tīng quàn gào zuì hòu zhǐ néng zì zuò zì shòu

He ignored the advice and in the end got what he deserved.

Illustration for 自作自受 (get what one deserves)

More examples

他总是撒谎，终于尝到了自作自受的下场。tā zǒng shì sā huǎng zhōng yú cháng dào le zì zuò zì shòu de xià chǎng

He always lied and finally got what he deserved.

Core concept

A person's own action circles back as the unpleasant consequence that person must bear.

Common phrases

自作自受的下场zì zuò zì shòu de xià chǎng
the fate one brings on oneself
自作自受的后果zì zuò zì shòu de hòu guǒ
the consequences of one's own actions

Similar words

自食其果zì shí qí guǒ: Receiving the consequences that grow out of one's own actions.
咎由自取jiù yóu zì qǔ: Suffering blame or misfortune brought on by one's own mistake or carelessness.
自讨苦吃zì táo kǔ chī: Making life harder for oneself by taking an unwise or unnecessary action.

Definition in Chinese

表示某人因自己的行为而承担后果，常指遭受应得的不良结果。biǎo shì mǒu rén yīn zì jǐ de xíng wéi ér chéng dān hòu guǒ cháng zhǐ zāo shòu yīng dé de bù liáng jié guǒ

Word origin

自 (zì, "oneself") + 作 (zuò, "do") + 自 (zì, "oneself") + 受 (shòu, "bear") shows one person both doing an act and bearing its result.

Usage tips

In conversation, this idiom often sounds like a judgment rather than a neutral description, so it can make a comment on someone's trouble sound blaming.

Other meanings

bring trouble on oneselfidiom
what goes around comes aroundidiom