自業自得

• Reading: じごうじとく
• Romaji: jigō jitoku
• Kanji breakdown: 自 (self) + 業 (deed/karma) + 自 (self) + 得 (gain/result) → gaining the result of one's own deeds
• Pronunciation: /dʑi.goː.dʑi.to.ku/

Meaning

You reap what you sow — the consequences of your own actions coming back to you.

A Buddhist-origin four-character idiom expressing the concept of karmic consequences. In modern usage, it is a blunt way of saying 'serves you right' or 'you brought this on yourself.' While originally a neutral Buddhist teaching about cause and effect, in everyday conversation it almost always carries a judgmental or scolding tone. It is used when someone suffers the predictable consequences of their own poor choices.

Examples

1. 試験勉強しなかったんだから不合格は自業自得でしょ。 You didn't study for the exam, so failing is on you.
2. 浮気してバレたんだから自業自得だよ。 You cheated and got caught — you brought that on yourself.
3. 寝坊して電車に乗り遅れたのは完全に自業自得だ。 Oversleeping and missing the train is totally your own fault.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, everyday conversation, social media

Tone: judgmental, blunt

Do Say

• 約束破ったんだから嫌われるのは自業自得 (You broke your promise, so being disliked is your own fault)
• 自業自得だけどちょっとかわいそうだね (It's self-inflicted, but I do feel a bit sorry for them)

Don't Say

• 災害の被害者に「自業自得」は絶対に言わない (Never say 'you reap what you sow' to disaster victims)

Common Mistakes

• Using 自業自得 toward people facing situations beyond their control — it should only apply to self-caused problems
• Not understanding the Buddhist origin and using it too casually in serious conversations

Origin & History

From Buddhist philosophy where 業 (gō/karma) refers to the moral consequences of one's actions. The compound literally means 'one's own deeds, one's own gain,' reflecting the idea that actions inevitably produce fitting results.

Cultural Context

Era: Buddhist origin, universally used in modern Japanese

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most commonly used four-character idioms in daily conversation.