作茧自缚
zuò jiǎn zì fù
Pinyin

Definition

作茧自缚
 - 
zuò jiǎn zì fù
  1. to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
  2. hoist by his own petard

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

来自
lái zì
  1. 1 to come from (a place)
  2. 2 From: (in email header)
工作
gōng zuò
  1. 1 to work
  2. 2 (of a machine) to operate
  3. 3 job
  4. 4 work
  5. 5 task
  6. 6 CL:個|个[gè],份[fèn],項|项[xiàng]
自
zì
  1. 1 self
  2. 2 oneself
  3. 3 from
  4. 4 since
  5. 5 naturally
  6. 6 surely
自己
zì jǐ
  1. 1 oneself
  2. 2 one's own
作
zuō
  1. 1 worker
  2. 2 workshop
  3. 3 (slang) troublesome
  4. 4 high-maintenance (person)
作出
zuò chū
  1. 1 to put out
  2. 2 to come up with
  3. 3 to make (a choice, decision, proposal, response, comment etc)
  4. 4 to issue (a permit, statement, explanation, apology, reassurance to the public etc)
  5. 5 to draw (conclusion)
  6. 6 to deliver (speech, judgment)
  7. 7 to devise (explanation)
  8. 8 to extract
作品
zuò pǐn
  1. 1 work (of art)
  2. 2 opus
  3. 3 CL:部[bù],篇[piān]
作孽
zuò niè
  1. 1 to sin
作家
zuò jiā
  1. 1 author
  2. 2 CL:個|个[gè],位[wèi]
作弊
zuò bì
  1. 1 to practice fraud
  2. 2 to cheat
  3. 3 to engage in corrupt practices
作息
zuò xī
  1. 1 to work and rest
作战
zuò zhàn
  1. 1 combat
  2. 2 to fight
作文
zuò wén
  1. 1 to write an essay
  2. 2 composition (student essay)
  3. 3 CL:篇[piān]
作业
zuò yè
  1. 1 school assignment
  2. 2 homework
  3. 3 work
  4. 4 task
  5. 5 operation
  6. 6 CL:個|个[gè]
  7. 7 to operate
作为
zuò wéi
  1. 1 one's conduct
  2. 2 deed
  3. 3 activity
  4. 4 accomplishment
  5. 5 achievement
  6. 6 to act as
  7. 7 as (in the capacity of)
  8. 8 qua
  9. 9 to view as
  10. 10 to look upon (sth as)
  11. 11 to take sth to be
作用
zuò yòng
  1. 1 to act on
  2. 2 to affect
  3. 3 action
  4. 4 function
  5. 5 activity
  6. 6 impact
  7. 7 result
  8. 8 effect
  9. 9 purpose
  10. 10 intent
  11. 11 to play a role
  12. 12 corresponds to English -ity, -ism, -ization
  13. 13 CL:個|个[gè]
作痛
zuò tòng
  1. 1 to ache
作者
zuò zhě
  1. 1 author
  2. 2 writer
  3. 3 CL:個|个[gè]
作风
zuò fēng
  1. 1 style
  2. 2 style of work
  3. 3 way
佳作
jiā zuò
  1. 1 masterpiece
  2. 2 fine piece of writing

Idioms (20)

不敢自专
bù gǎn zì zhuān
  1. 1 not daring to act for oneself (idiom)
不由自主
bù yóu zì zhǔ
  1. 1 can't help; involuntarily (idiom)
不言自明
bù yán zì míng
  1. 1 self-evident; needing no explanation (idiom)
不说自明
bù shuō zì míng
  1. 1 self-explanatory
  2. 2 self-evident (idiom)
以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé
  1. 1 to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model
任其自然
rèn qí zì rán
  1. 1 to let things take their course (idiom)
  2. 2 to leave it to nature
  3. 3 laissez-faire
作威作福
zuò wēi zuò fú
  1. 1 tyrannical abuse (idiom); riding roughshod over people
作茧自缚
zuò jiǎn zì fù
  1. 1 to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
  2. 2 hoist by his own petard
作鸟兽散
zuò niǎo shòu sàn
  1. 1 lit. scatter like birds and beasts (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to head off in various directions
  3. 3 to flee helter-skelter
俾夜作昼
bǐ yè zuò zhòu
  1. 1 lit. to make night as day (idiom); fig. to burn the midnight oil
  2. 2 work especially hard
俾昼作夜
bǐ zhòu zuò yè
  1. 1 to make day as night (idiom, from Book of Songs); fig. to prolong one's pleasure regardless of the hour
优游自得
yōu yóu zì dé
  1. 1 free and at leisure (idiom); unfettered
儿孙自有儿孙福
ér sūn zì yǒu ér sūn fú
  1. 1 younger generations will do all right on their own (idiom)
冰炭不言，冷热自明
bīng tàn bù yán , lěng rè zì míng
  1. 1 ice or coals, whether hot or cold goes without saying (idiom); fig. sincerity is not expressed in words
出自肺腑
chū zì fèi fǔ
  1. 1 from the bottom of one's heart (idiom)
刚愎自用
gāng bì zì yòng
  1. 1 obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)
功到自然成
gōng dào zì rán chéng
  1. 1 effort will undoubtedly lead to success (idiom)
各人自扫门前雪，莫管他家瓦上霜
gè rén zì sǎo mén qián xuě , mò guǎn tā jiā wǎ shàng shuāng
  1. 1 sweep the snow from your own door step, don't worry about the frost on your neighbor's roof (idiom)
吉人自有天相
jí rén zì yǒu tiān xiàng
  1. 1 Heaven helps the worthy (idiom)
吐丝自缚
tǔ sī zì fù
  1. 1 to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
  2. 2 hoist with his own petard

Sample Sentences