活该 (huó gāi) — (colloquial) serves someone right, deserved (of a negative outcome)
Definition
活该 (huó gāi) is a colloquial exclamation meaning 'serves (someone) right' — used when a bad outcome is deserved. Unlike 该, it is a fixed expression of gloating, not a modal verb like 应该.
verb
(colloquial) serves someone rightdeserved (of a negative outcome)
Examples
- ，，活该！Tā zǒng shì bù tīng quàn, xiàn zài chū shì le, huó gāi!He never listens to advice — now something happened, serves him right!
- ，活该。Nǐ kǎo shì qián bú fù xí, kǎo bù hǎo yě huó gāi.You didn't review before the exam, so you deserve to do poorly.
- ，活该。Tā piàn le nà me duō rén, huó gāi méi rén zài xiāng xìn tā.He cheated so many people — it serves him right that no one trusts him anymore.
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