8 Chinese Idioms About Revenge & Retribution
Intense Chinese idioms about revenge, payback, and settling scores - expressions of determined vengeance.
While Chinese philosophy often counsels forgiveness, these idioms capture the human desire for justice and retribution. They express determined patience and the eventual settling of accounts.
因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìngActions have consequences
Literal: Cause and effect return
This idiom encapsulates the Buddhist concept that causes (因) and effects (果) inevitably return (报应) as consequences. Introduced with Buddhism during the Han Dynasty, it gained widespread acceptance during the Tang period, offering a sophisticated framework for understanding moral causation. The conc...
Example
His kindness to others eventually came back to benefit him
他对他人的善意最终回报到了他身上
厚积薄发
hòu jī bó fāSuccess after long preparation
Literal: Thick accumulation thin launch
This idiom compares patient accumulation (积) of deep (厚) knowledge with the eventual release (发) that requires minimal (薄) effort. It emerged during the Tang Dynasty literary circles, where scholars emphasized sustained preparation over hasty creation. Historical accounts describe how poet Du Fu spe...
Example
After years of quiet research, her breakthrough theory revolutionized the field
经过多年的默默研究，她的突破性理论彻底革新了这个领域
卧薪尝胆
wò xīn cháng dǎnEndure hardship for future success
Literal: Sleep on firewood, taste gall
This perseverance idiom combines two historical stories of determined revenge. It references King Goujian of Yue who slept on brushwood (卧薪) to remember his humiliation and Wu Zixu who tasted bile (尝胆) to never forget his family's execution. After being defeated and enslaved by King Fuchai of Wu, Go...
Example
After losing the championship, the athlete trained with extraordinary dedication for years to finally win
失去冠军后，这位运动员多年来以非凡的奉献精神训练，最终获胜
覆水难收
fù shuǐ nán shōuActions cannot be undone
Literal: Spilled water hard to recover
This irreversible idiom states that water once spilled (覆水) is difficult (难) to gather back (收), originating from Tang Dynasty poetry. It first appeared in a poem about irrevocable separation between husband and wife, comparing their relationship to water impossible to return to its container once p...
Example
After revealing confidential information, he realized some mistakes cannot be undone
在泄露机密信息后，他意识到有些错误无法挽回
恶贯满盈
è guàn mǎn yíngAccumulated evil deeds ripe for punishment
Literal: Evil accumulated fully filled
Han Dynasty metaphysical discussions introduced this image of wickedness (恶) accumulating until fully (满) overflowing (盈). Buddhist influence strengthened its connection to inevitable karmic consequences. The metaphor of evil as a liquid gradually filling a vessel until it overflows perfectly captur...
Example
After decades of corruption, the official was finally brought to justice
经过几十年的腐败，这名官员终于被绳之以法
负荆请罪
fù jīng qǐng zuìSincerely admit fault and accept consequences
Literal: Carry thorns request punishment
The 'Records of the Grand Historian' tells how general Lin Xiangru carried thorns (负荆) while requesting punishment (请罪) to demonstrate sincere regret for insulting fellow general Lian Po. Han Dynasty writers transformed this specific incident into a broader symbol of genuine remorse backed by willin...
Example
The executive publicly apologized for the company's environmental violations
这位高管公开为公司的环境违规道歉
自食其果
zì shí qí guǒReap what one sows; suffer consequences
Literal: Self eat its fruit
This idiom describes eating (食) the fruit (果) of one's own (自其) actions - suffering the consequences of one's behavior. The agricultural metaphor connects actions to their natural outcomes, like trees producing fruit from seeds planted. The phrase reflects the Buddhist and Confucian concept of moral...
Example
His dishonesty eventually backfired on him.
他的不诚实最终让他自食其果。
怒不可遏
nù bù kě èBe furious beyond control
Literal: Anger that cannot be suppressed
This idiom describes anger (怒) that cannot (不可) be suppressed (遏). It depicts rage so intense that it overwhelms all attempts at self-control. The phrase appeared in texts describing righteous fury at injustice or betrayal. Modern usage describes intense anger that demands expression, whether justif...
Example
Upon discovering the betrayal, he became furious beyond control.
发现背叛后，他怒不可遏。
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