自讨没趣 (zì tǎo méi qù) — to bring contempt or rebuff upon oneself by acting unwisely; to court a snub or rejection

Definition

Self-inflicted rejection: doing something when you know it will fail or annoy others, then suffering the humiliation yourself. Implies the speaker finds the behavior foolish — like 'asking for a snub'.

idiom
to bring contempt or rebuff upon oneself by acting unwiselyto court a snub or rejection

Examples

  • ，，自讨没趣。
    Tā míng zhī duì fāng bù xǐ huan tā, hái qù xiàn yīn qín, zhēn shì zì tǎo méi qù.
    He knew the other person didn't like him, yet he still went to fawn — he really brought rebuff upon himself.
  • 自讨没趣，。
    Nǐ zuì hǎo bié zì tǎo méi qù, zhè jiàn shì méi rén huì zhī chí nǐ.
    You'd better not court a rebuff — no one will support you on this matter.
  • ，自讨没趣。
    Zài huì shàng tí nà ge mǐn gǎn wèn tí, tā jiǎn zhí shì zì tǎo méi qù.
    Bringing up that sensitive issue at the meeting was simply asking for a snub.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 討; 讨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
肘
肘zhǒu討tǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 討 pairs 言 (speech) with a shortened form of 肘 for sound; an old reading took 言 plus 寸 (hand) as 'rectify'. The simplified 讨 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical components.

Open 讨 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬛
𠬛𠬛沒mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.

Open 没 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒuwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
取
取qǔ趣qù
Same sound today

趣 has 走, showing walking or hurrying, and 取, which gives the sound; the shape points to moving toward something.

Open 趣 →

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