自食其果

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

Origin & Usage

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 causation. Modern usage describes situations where negative actions return to harm their originator, emphasizing personal responsibility for consequences.

Examples

English: "His dishonesty eventually backfired on him."

Chinese: 他的不诚实最终让他自食其果。