咎由自取

jiùyóu-zìqǔ
idiom #21,694

Meanings

  1. 1 to have only oneself to blame
  2. 2 to bring trouble upon oneself
  3. 3 self-inflicted

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā bù tīng quàngào, jiéguǒ shībài le, zhēnshì jiùyóu-zìqǔ.
He ignored all advice, and ended up failing - he truly has only himself to blame.
HSK 7-9
Zhè chǎng huòshì shì jiùyóu-zìqǔ, guài bu liǎo biérén.
This disaster is self-inflicted; there is no one else to blame.

Tips

memory
咎 = blame / fault; 由 = caused by; 自 = oneself; 取 = taken. 'The blame is caused by and taken by oneself.' A neat four-character summary of self-inflicted trouble.

Stroke Order

咎 jiù
由 yóu
自 zì
取 qǔ