1.
to repay kindness with ingratitude; to return good with evil; to bite the hand that feeds you
To respond to someone's kindness or generosity with harmful, ungrateful, or treacherous behavior. A strong expression of moral condemnation.
恩を仇で返すようなことはしたくない。
I don't want to do anything that would repay kindness with ingratitude.
Literally "to return 恩 (a debt of gratitude) with 仇 (enmity/harm)." One of the most strongly negative moral expressions in Japanese, condemning betrayal of someone who has been kind.
Cultural note
The concept of 恩 (obligation/gratitude for kindness received) is deeply important in Japanese culture. Repaying 恩 with harm is considered one of the most morally reprehensible acts. The expression reflects the strong cultural emphasis on reciprocity and loyalty.
Usage
Used when someone acts against a benefactor. Can be used as a direct accusation or as a cautionary expression about what one must never do. Often appears with ような (like, as if) to describe behavior.
Common collocations
- 恩を仇で返すような人 — the kind of person who bites the hand that feeds them
- 恩を仇で返すような真似 — an act of repaying kindness with evil