自暴自弃
自暴自弃 (zì bào zì qì) literally means “self-ruin self-abandon” and expresses “give up on oneself entirely”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: zi bao zi qi, zi bao zi qi,自暴自弃 meaning, 自暴自弃 in english
Give up on oneself entirely
Pronunciation: zì bào zì qì Literal meaning: Self-ruin self-abandon
Origin & Usage
Mencius distinguishes two failures and the phrase joins them. The man who does violence to himself (自暴) cannot be talked with, because he has decided that right and propriety are not worth discussing; the man who throws himself away (自弃) cannot be worked with, because he has decided he is incapable of them. One is contempt for the standard, the other is despair of meeting it. Chinese uses the compound for the settled version of giving up, and it is a serious thing to say about someone.
Examples
English: "After losing his job, he fell into despair and gave up on life."
Chinese: 失去工作后，他自暴自弃，放弃了生活。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
前功尽弃
qián gōng jìn qì
Efforts wasted
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无地自容
wú dì zì róng
Extremely ashamed; wish to disappear
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自以为是
zì yǐ wéi shì
Self-righteous; opinionated
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画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
Empty promises satisfy nothing
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冷冷清清
lěng lěng qīng qīng
Deserted and lifeless atmosphere
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当务之急
dāng wù zhī jí
Most urgent priority requiring immediate attention
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独善其身
dú shàn qí shēn
Look after yourself only; ignore the rest
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事半功倍
shì bàn gōng bèi
Less effort, better results
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 自暴自弃 mean in English?
自暴自弃 (zì bào zì qì) literally translates to “Self-ruin self-abandon” and is used to express “Give up on oneself entirely”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 自暴自弃 used?
Situation: After losing his job, he fell into despair and gave up on life.
What is the pinyin for 自暴自弃?
The pinyin pronunciation for 自暴自弃 is “zì bào zì qì”.