zi6 gei2 lo2 lei4 seoi1自己攞嚟衰
Jyutpingzi6 gei2 lo2 lei4 seoi1
Yalejih géi ló lèih sēui
Definition
To bring trouble upon oneself; to have only oneself to blame.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
This phrase is a blunt way to tell someone that their current misfortune is entirely their own fault. It carries a sense of exasperation or schadenfreude, often used when someone ignores warnings or acts foolishly. It is never used to describe genuine accidents or bad luck beyond one's control.
Examples
You wouldn't listen to advice, now you've brought this on yourself.
He knew the road was blocked but went anyway, he really brought it upon himself.
Related words
Common phrases
really brought it upon oneself
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone else's misfortune if you want to sound sympathetic, as it is inherently critical and dismissive of the person's plight.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
