Our free Chinese learning series introduces idioms and proverbs. These timeless phrases hold valuable meanings and are worth studying. Today’s idiom is 「自怨自艾」, detailed below.
The Chinese idiom 「自怨自艾」 we’re introducing today is explained in detail below, along with its meaning and usage.
Yuan: resentment, regret; Ai: mowing the grass, a metaphor for correcting mistakes. The original meaning is to regret your mistakes and correct them yourself. Now it only refers to regretting one’s mistakes.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
zì yuàn zì ài
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
ji6 yun3 ji6 ngaai6
Chinese idioms come in large numbers, with diverse meanings and usages, offering endless learning opportunities. We hope these resources make it easier for you to study Chinese.
