自食其果

Pronunciation: zì shí qí guǒ Literal meaning: Self eat its fruit

Origin & Usage

To eat (食) the fruit (果) of one's own (自) tree (其). The metaphor is agricultural and its force lies in the ownership: the fruit is not a punishment sent from outside but the thing that grew from what was planted, so nobody has to be blamed for the outcome arriving. Chinese uses it with satisfaction rather than pity, and almost always of somebody who was warned. It is the standard phrase for a consequence that has come home, and it leaves no room for the person to be a victim of it.

Examples

English: "His dishonesty eventually backfired on him."

Chinese: 他的不诚实最终让他自食其果。