Comes back on you
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 20 of 21Luck, trouble & outcomes
Bad outcomes you brought on yourself: your own fault, the bill coming due, digging your own grave, punishment, a plan backfiring.
- jigou jitokuyou brought it on yourselfliterally “one's own deeds, one's own receiving (of their result)”
- tsuke ga mawatte kurupast neglect or excess catches up with youliterally “the tab comes around (to you)”
- boketsu o horudig your own grave, shoot yourself in the footliterally “dig a grave pit”
- bachi ga atarube punished by heaven, get bad karmaliterally “divine punishment hits”
- urame ni derubackfireliterally “the back face (of the die) comes up”
Mix-ups jigou jitoku (your own fault) vs bachi ga ataru (punished from above) vs tsuke ga mawatte kuru (it catches up later); boketsu o horu (you make it worse for yourself) vs urame ni deru (a plan has the opposite effect).
jigou jitoku
polite jigou jitoku desu
“one's own deeds, one's own receiving (of their result)”
you brought it on yourself
In English: had it coming
Said, often bluntly, when someone's trouble is their own fault, like a hangover or a failed test after no studying: jigou jitoku da yo. It can sound cold, so use it with friends or about other people, not to a superior's face.
Plain alternative: jibun no sei (your own fault).
are wa jigou jitoku da yo
He brought that on himself.
あれは自業自得だよ
are wa jigou jitoku desu yo
He really brought that on himself.
あれは自業自得ですよ
Written 自業自得 · じごうじとくHeard 117× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside tsuke ga mawatte kuru, bachi ga ataru
tsuke ga mawatte kuru
polite tsuke ga mawatte kimasu
“the tab comes around (to you)”
past neglect or excess catches up with you
In English: come back to bite you
Said when skipped study, lost sleep, overspending or cut corners catch up with you, usually in the past: tsuke ga mawatte kita. tsuke is a bar tab, and tsuke o harau (pay the price) uses the same picture.
Same image: tsuke o harau (pay the price for it).
nebusoku no tsuke ga mawatte kita
The lack of sleep is catching up with me.
寝不足のツケが回ってきた
nebusoku no tsuke ga mawatte kimashita
The lack of sleep is catching up with me.
寝不足のツケが回ってきました
Written ツケが回ってくる · つけがまわってくるHeard 42× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside jigou jitoku, bachi ga ataruMain list kuru (Stage 1), -te kuru (Stage 4)
boketsu o horu
polite boketsu o horimasu
“dig a grave pit”
dig your own grave, shoot yourself in the foot
In English: dig your own grave
Said when someone brings trouble on themselves through their own words or actions, very often by saying too much and giving themselves away: jibun de boketsu hotta. Common as a self-mocking groan.
Same idea: jibun no kubi o shimeru (tighten the noose on yourself).
yokei na koto itte boketsu hotta.
I said too much and dug my own grave.
余計なこと言って墓穴掘った。
yokei na koto o itte, boketsu o hotte shimaimashita.
I said too much and dug myself a hole.
余計なことを言って、墓穴を掘ってしまいました。
Written 墓穴を掘る · ぼけつをほるHeard 29× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside urame ni deruMain list iu (Stage 2)
bachi ga ataru
polite bachi ga atarimasu
“divine punishment hits”
be punished by heaven, get bad karma
A half-joking warning to someone who wastes food, is ungrateful or disrespects something sacred: bachi ga ataru yo. People also say it about themselves when life feels too good, as in konna ni shiawase de bachi ga ataranai kana.
Written 罰 but read bachi here; an ungrateful person is a bachiatari.
gohan nokoshitara bachi ga ataru yo
Leave food and heaven will punish you.
ご飯残したらバチが当たるよ
gohan o nokoshitara bachi ga atarimasu yo
Leaving food will bring bad karma.
ご飯を残したらバチが当たりますよ
Written バチが当たる · ばちがあたるHeard 19× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside jigou jitoku, tsuke ga mawatte kuru
urame ni deru
polite urame ni demasu
“the back face (of the die) comes up”
backfire
In English: backfire
Said when a plan or a kind gesture produces the opposite of what you wanted, mostly in the past: yokare to omotte shita koto ga urame ni deta (I meant well, but it backfired). Sometimes a warning: urame ni deru zo.
Plain alternative: gyaku kouka (counterproductive).
yokare to omotte yatta noni, urame ni deta.
I meant well, but it backfired.
良かれと思ってやったのに、裏目に出た。
yokare to omotte shita koto ga urame ni demashita.
What I did with good intentions backfired.
良かれと思ってしたことが裏目に出ました。
Written 裏目に出る · うらめにでるHeard 10× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside boketsu o horuMain list deru (Stage 1), -noni (Stage 1)