自食其言 zì shí qí yán To eat one's words

Explanation

指说了话不算数，违背诺言。

Refers to someone who doesn't keep their word; breaking a promise.

Origin Story

从前，有个小男孩叫小明，他非常喜欢吃糖葫芦。一天，他向妈妈保证，如果考一百分就奖励他吃糖葫芦。考试结束后，小明考了九十五分，并没有达到一百分。妈妈问他考了多少分，他撒谎说考了一百分。妈妈信以为真，买了糖葫芦给他。可是，小明吃着糖葫芦，心里却很不安，因为他撒谎了，没有做到他答应妈妈的事，他自食其言了。从此以后，小明再也不敢轻易许诺了，因为他明白，自食其言的后果很严重。

cóng qián, yǒu gè xiǎo nánhái jiào xiǎo míng, tā fēicháng xǐhuan chī táng húlú. yītiān, tā xiàng māma bǎozhèng, rúguǒ kǎo yībǎi fēn jiù jiǎnglì tā chī táng húlú. kǎoshì jiéshù hòu, xiǎo míng kǎo le jiǔshíwǔ fēn, bìng méiyǒu dádào yībǎi fēn. māma wèn tā kǎo le duōshao fēn, tā sāhuǎng shuō kǎo le yībǎi fēn. māma xìn'érwéizhēn, mǎi le táng húlú gěi tā. kěshì, xiǎo míng chīzhe táng húlú, xīnli què hěn bù'ān, yīnwèi tā sāhuǎng le, méiyǒu zuòdào tā yīngdāi māma de shì, tā zì shí qí yán le. cóngcǐ yǐhòu, xiǎo míng zài yě gǎn qīngyì xǔnuò le, yīnwèi tā míngbái, zì shí qí yán de hòuguǒ hěn yánzhòng.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Xiaoming who loved to eat Tanghulu (candied haws). One day, he promised his mother that if he scored 100 points on a test, she would buy him Tanghulu. After the test, Xiaoming scored 95, not 100. When his mother asked, he lied and said he got 100. His mother, believing him, bought him Tanghulu. But while eating, Xiaoming felt uneasy; he had lied and broken his promise. He ate his words. From then on, Xiaoming was careful not to make promises he couldn't keep, understanding the serious consequences of breaking a promise.

Usage

用于形容说话不算数，不守信用。

yòng yú xíngróng shuōhuà bù suàn shù, bù shǒu xìnyòng

Used to describe someone who doesn't keep their word; dishonest.

Examples

• 他自食其言，让我很失望。

  tā zì shí qí yán, ràng wǒ hěn shīwàng.

  He broke his promise, which made me very disappointed.

• 不要轻易许诺，否则会自食其言。

  bùyào qīngyì xǔnuò, fǒuzé huì zì shí qí yán

  Don't make promises lightly, otherwise you'll eat your words

Related Idioms

• 食言而肥

• 言而无信

• 失信

Opposite Idioms

• 一诺千金

• 言而有信