What does 自暴自弃 mean?

自暴自弃 (zì bào zì qì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to give up on oneself”.

How do you pronounce 自暴自弃?

自暴自弃 is pronounced zì bào zì qì in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 自暴自弃 literally mean?

Literally, 自暴自弃 means “self-abuse and self-abandonment”. It is used to mean “to give up on oneself”.

Where does 自暴自弃 come from?

自暴自弃 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 自暴自弃?

暴：糟蹋、损害；弃：鄙弃。自己瞧不起自己，甘于落后或堕落。

自暴自弃 — “To give up on oneself”

自暴自弃 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to give up on oneself”. To abandon oneself to despair or self-neglect; to feel inferior and let oneself go. Literally, “self-abuse and self-abandonment”.

Frequency

自暴自弃 Pronunciation and Pinyin

自zì
暴bào
自zì
弃qì

自暴自弃 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
暴	bào	15	sudden intense violent exposure
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
弃	qì	7	abandon, discard, give up

Example Sentence with 自暴自弃

小明考试失利后，一度自暴自弃，不愿意再努力学习，后来在老师的鼓励下才重新振作起来。

After failing the exam, Xiao Ming once gave up on himself, unwilling to study hard anymore. It was only with the teacher's encouragement that he regained his spirit.

Origin and Story of 自暴自弃

During the Warring States period, Mencius taught his students not to be people who give up on themselves (自暴自弃).

The students, puzzled, asked for clarification. Mencius explained that 'zibao' (self-abuse) refers to speaking in a way that disregards propriety and righteousness, thereby harming oneself.

'Ziqi' (self-abandonment) means harboring thoughts that deviate from benevolence and righteousness, thus forsaking oneself.

He emphasized that benevolence is the most peaceful dwelling, and righteousness is the most correct path, urging them to conduct all affairs in accordance with these virtues.

Idioms Related to 自暴自弃

Synonyms of 自暴自弃

Antonyms of 自暴自弃

More idioms starting with 自

Questions about 自暴自弃

What does 自暴自弃 mean?: 自暴自弃 (zì bào zì qì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to give up on oneself”.
How do you pronounce 自暴自弃?: 自暴自弃 is pronounced zì bào zì qì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 自暴自弃 literally mean?: Literally, 自暴自弃 means “self-abuse and self-abandonment”. It is used to mean “to give up on oneself”.
Where does 自暴自弃 come from?: 自暴自弃 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 自暴自弃?: 暴：糟蹋、损害；弃：鄙弃。自己瞧不起自己，甘于落后或堕落。

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