諺語 · a single proverb
搬起石頭砸自己的腳
Simplified: 搬起石头砸自己的脚
What does 搬起石頭砸自己的腳 (bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo) mean?
搬起石頭砸自己的腳 (bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "Lift a stone only to drop it on your own foot." In use it means: Schemes intended to harm others backfire and hurt the schemer instead. Malicious plans have a way of returning to their source. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "Lift a stone only to drop it on your own foot.."
The reading
The weight you pick up to throw at someone else is the weight you are already carrying. Malice is heavy long before it lands. Every plot against another person requires you to hold something dangerous above your own body first. The stone does not care about your intentions; gravity is neutral. Revenge is a rock that always knows where your feet are.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Modern Chinese folk saying, widely used in 20th-century political rhetoric
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 搬起石頭砸自己的腳 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 搬起石頭砸自己的腳 (bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Modern Chinese folk saying, widely used in 20th-century political rhetoric. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 搬起石頭砸自己的腳?
In Mandarin it is bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 搬起石頭砸自己的腳 aloud in Mandarin.