8 Chinese Idioms About Revenge & Retribution

Actions have consequences

Literal meaning: 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...

Success after long preparation

Literal meaning: 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...

Endure hardship for future success

Literal meaning: 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...

Actions cannot be undone

Literal meaning: 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...

Accumulated evil deeds ripe for punishment

Literal meaning: 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...

Sincerely admit fault and accept consequences

Literal meaning: 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...

Reap what one sows; suffer consequences

Literal meaning: 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...

Be furious beyond control

Literal meaning: 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...