jiě​líng​hái​xū​xì​líng​rén

whoever started the trouble should end it

  • created sense approved 解铃还须系铃人/解鈴還須繫鈴人 · jiě​líng​hái​xū​xì​líng​rén · whoever started the trouble should end it — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    解铃还须系铃人 / 解鈴還須繫鈴人

    jiě​líng​hái​xū​xì​líng​rén

    whoever started the trouble should end it

    literally meaning the one who hung the bell on the tiger's neck must be the one to untie it; used as a metaphor for solving a problem by going back to the person who caused it

    解 (literal) → 解 · jiě · to untie 铃 (literal) → 铃/鈴 · líng · bell 还 (literal) → 还/還 · hái · still 须 (literal) → 须/須 · xū · must 系铃人 (literal) → 系铃人/繫鈴人 · xì​líng​rén · the one who tied the bell

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

    created sense