📖 Meaning
To deserve the punishment one receives. It describes a situation where someone's wrongdoing naturally leads to consequences they have brought upon themselves, implying the penalty is just and fitting.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel 'The Bureaucracy' (官场现形记) by Li Baojia (李宝嘉), specifically Chapter 20. In the story, a subordinate official deliberately violates his superior's explicit prohibition and openly admits that whatever punishment follows is something he rightfully deserves. The phrase captures the Confucian notion that transgressions carry inherent consequences, and that accepting one's due punishment is a mark of moral accountability.
💡 Example Usage
这个贪官贪污公款被判刑，真是罪有应得。
This corrupt official was sentenced for embezzling public funds—truly a punishment he deserved.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 罪有应得
- Pinyin: zuì yǒu yīng dé
- Literal Translation: sin, have, should, get
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4