请君入瓮 — “To catch someone in their own trap”
请君入瓮 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to catch someone in their own trap”. To make someone suffer the same treatment they devised for others; to be hoist with one's own petard. Literally, “Please invite you into the urn”.
请君入瓮 Pronunciation and Pinyin
请君入瓮 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 请君入瓮
Origin and Story of 请君入瓮
During the Tang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian, to suppress her opponents, employed a group of cruel officials. Among them, two were particularly ruthless: Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen. They used false accusations, denunciations, and inhumane tortures to kill many upright civil and military officials, as well as common people.
One time, a secret letter was sent to Wu Zetian, accusing Zhou Xing of conspiring to rebel. Wu Zetian was furious and ordered Lai Junchen to thoroughly investigate the matter. Lai Junchen was uneasy. He thought, 'Zhou Xing is a cunning and treacherous person; it will be impossible to make him confess with just a secret letter. But if I can't find results, and the Empress Dowager blames me, I won't be able to bear the responsibility.' What could he do? After much deliberation, he finally came up with a brilliant plan.
He prepared a lavish banquet and invited Zhou Xing to his home. The two men toasted each other and chatted. After several rounds of drinks, Lai Junchen sighed and said, 'Brother, when I handle cases, I often encounter prisoners who refuse to admit their guilt. Do you have any good methods?' Zhou Xing proudly replied, 'That's easy!' He took a sip from his cup. Lai Junchen immediately feigned earnestness and said, 'Oh, please enlighten me quickly.'
Zhou Xing smirked and said, 'You find a large urn, heat it from all sides with charcoal, and then make the prisoner get inside. Do you think any prisoner wouldn't confess?'
Lai Junchen nodded repeatedly in agreement. He then ordered servants to bring a large urn and, as Zhou Xing had described, lit charcoal fires around it. Then he turned to Zhou Xing and said, 'Someone in the palace has accused you of rebellion, and I've been ordered to investigate. I'm sorry, but now, please, Brother, step into the urn yourself.'
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing's wine cup clattered to the floor, and he immediately fell to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing and saying, 'I am guilty, I am guilty, I confess.' This story is found in 'Zizhi Tongjian, Empress Zetian of Tang, Second Year of Tianshou'. The idiom 'Qing Jun Ru Weng' (Invite you into the urn) is a metaphor for making someone suffer the same treatment they devised for others.
Idioms Related to 请君入瓮
Antonyms of 请君入瓮
More idioms starting with 请
- qǐng请rén人zhuō捉dāo刀Ask someone to ghostwrite or stand-in
- qǐng请xiān先rù入wèng瓮caught in one's own trap
- qǐng请gōng功shòu受shǎng赏request recognition and receive reward
- qǐng请kè客sòng送lǐ礼entertain guests and give presents
- qǐng请jiàng将bù不rú如jī激jiàng将Provocation is better than polite request
- qǐng请zì自wěi隗shǐ始Volunteer to take the lead
- qǐng请hái骸gǔ骨request retirement due to old age
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Open the tool →Questions about 请君入瓮
What does 请君入瓮 mean?
请君入瓮 (qǐng jūn rù wèng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to catch someone in their own trap”.
How do you pronounce 请君入瓮?
请君入瓮 is pronounced qǐng jūn rù wèng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 请君入瓮 literally mean?
Literally, 请君入瓮 means “Please invite you into the urn”. It is used to mean “to catch someone in their own trap”.
Where does 请君入瓮 come from?
请君入瓮 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 请君入瓮?
瓮：一种陶制的盛器。比喻用某人整治别人的办法来整治他自己。