Definition
自食其果 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to reap what one has sown' — specifically, to suffer the negative consequences of one's own actions. It carries a strong moral judgment and is used when someone's bad deeds eventually backfire on them. Unlike the English idiom, which can be neutral, 自食其果 is almost always negative and critical.
f.e.
to suffer the consequences of one's own actionsto reap what one has sown (negative)
Examples
- ,自食其果。Tā qīpiàn le tài duō rén, zuìhòu zì shí qí guǒ.He deceived too many people and ended up reaping what he had sown.
- ,自食其果。Rúguǒ xiànzài bù nǔlì, jiānglái jiù huì zì shí qí guǒ.If you don't work hard now, you will suffer the consequences in the future.
- 自食其果。Nàxiē wéifǎ de rén zuìzhōng dōu huì zì shí qí guǒ.Those who break the law will eventually reap what they have sown.
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