作茧自缚

作繭自縛

zuòjiǎn-zìfù

idiom #28,075

Meanings

1 to spin a cocoon around oneself
2 to be caught in a trap of one's own making
3 to hoist oneself by one's own petard

Characters

to make; to do; to create

to bind; to tie up

Examples

他谎话越说越多，最后作茧自缚，无法脱身。

Tā huǎnghuà yuè shuō yuè duō, zuìhòu zuòjiǎnzìfù, wúfǎ tuōshēn.

He told more and more lies, and in the end trapped himself with no way out.

制定太多限制，只会作茧自缚。

Zhìdìng tài duō xiànzhì, zhǐ huì zuòjiǎnzìfù.

Setting too many restrictions will only trap yourself.

Tips

memory

Silkworms spin a cocoon (茧) to protect themselves, but in doing so they bind (缚) themselves inside. The image captures perfectly how one can entrap oneself with one's own actions.

Stroke Order

作 zuò

茧 jiǎn

自 zì

缚 fù