反面教師
はんめんきょうし
noun
negative example; someone whose bad behavior serves as a lesson in what not to do
1.
negative example; someone whose bad behavior serves as a lesson in what not to do
A person whose bad qualities or mistakes can teach others what to avoid. The concept originated in Mao Zedong's political theory and is now widely used in everyday Japanese to describe someone who serves as a cautionary example.
Originally from Mao Zedong's political theory, referring to a person whose bad qualities or mistakes can teach others what to avoid. Unlike a role model (手本), a 反面教師 provides a lesson through negative behavior.
Common collocations
- 反面教師にする: to use as a negative example
- 反面教師として学ぶ: to learn from a bad example
- 反面教師になる: to become a cautionary example