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Yomi
ばちがあたる
Rōmaji
bachi ga ataru
Type
idiom
Meaning
Something bad happens to someone as a consequence of their ill behaviour in the past; pay the price
Synonym
自業自得
Additional Info
Its idea may sound like a religious (Buddhist) belief, but this expression is widely and casually used among Japanese people regardless of their religion.
Example
不倫していた友達が会社をクビになったらしい。バチが当たったんだろう
I’ve heard that my friend who has been cheating on his wife got fired from his company. That’d be because of his bad karma
人の悪口ばかり言っていると、いつかバチが当たるよ。
If you always speak ill of others, you’ll pay the price someday.
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