Definition
咎由自取 is a four-character idiom (成语) that means 'to have only oneself to blame' — the disaster or punishment someone faces is entirely their own fault. The structure 咎 ('fault, blame') + 由 ('from') + 自 ('self') + 取 ('to take') literally says 'the blame comes from what one has taken upon oneself.' You use it when someone's negative outcome is a direct result of their own actions, often to express that they deserve it.
f.e.
to have only oneself to blameto bring trouble upon oneself (used when a negative outcome is one's own fault)
Examples
- ，咎由自取。Tā yīnwèi bù shǒu xìnyòng bèi péngyou shūyuǎn, wánquán shì jiù yóu zì qǔ.He was distanced by friends because of his untrustworthiness — it's entirely his own fault.
- ，咎由自取。Rúguǒ nǐ bú rènzhēn bèi kǎo, kǎo bú shàng dàxué jiù shì jiù yóu zì qǔ.If you don't study seriously for the exam, failing to get into university will be no one's fault but your own.
- ，咎由自取。Tā tāntú xiǎolì zuìhòu bèi piàn, zhēn shì jiù yóu zì qǔ.His greed for small gains got him scammed in the end — he has only himself to blame.
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