恩将仇报

恩將仇報

ēnjiāng-chóubào

idiom #43,954

Meanings

1 to repay kindness with enmity
2 to bite the hand that feeds you
3 ingratitude toward a benefactor

Characters

kindness / favor

enmity / hatred

Examples

HSK 1

做人不能恩将仇报。

Zuòrén bù néng ēnjiāng-chóubào.

A decent person doesn't bite the hand that feeds them.

HSK 5

他救了你的命，你却恩将仇报。

Tā jiù le nǐ de mìng, nǐ què ēnjiāng-chóubào.

He saved your life, yet you repaid his kindness with hatred.

HSK 7-9

这样恩将仇报的行为令人寒心。

Zhèyàng ēnjiāng-chóubào de xíngwéi lìng rén hánxīn.

Repaying kindness with betrayal like this leaves one heartbroken.

Tips

history

Popularized by Wu Cheng'en's Ming-dynasty 《西游记》 (chapter 30), where the phrase is used when the Tang Monk fears that speaking out will cause a kidnapped princess to be killed by her captor - the archetypal ingrate scenario.

Stroke Order

恩 ēn

将 jiāng

仇 chóu

报 bào