shān​mù​zì​kòu

one's worth may be one's own ruin

  • created sense approved 山木自寇 · shān​mù​zì​kòu · one's worth may be one's own ruin — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    山木自寇

    shān​mù​zì​kòu

    one's worth may be one's own ruin

    Literally meaning that trees on a mountain are chopped down because their wood is useful; used to describe how a person's own talent or ability can attract trouble or lead to their downfall.

    山 (literal) → 山 · shān · mountain 木 (literal) → 木 · mù · tree 自 (literal) → 自 · zì · self 寇 (literal) → 寇 · kòu · to invade

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense