Proverb / Kotowaza
仇を恩で報ずる
Choosing to respond to harm or ill-treatment with kindness and favors instead of seeking revenge.
To repay a grudge with kindness.
Quick Answer
Choosing to respond to harm or ill-treatment with kindness and favors instead of seeking revenge.
- Literal Image
- To repay a grudge with kindness.
- Closest Equivalent
- Return good for evil
- How to Use It
- Used when someone chooses to be the bigger person and help an adversary or someone who was previously unkind to them.
Meaning
This proverb describes the act of treating an enemy or someone who has caused you harm with benevolence and grace. Instead of retaliating or holding onto a grudge, one chooses to help or show kindness to the person who mistreated them, to resolve conflict or demonstrate high moral character.
Literal Image
To repay a grudge with kindness.
Equivalent Proverbs
Return good for evil
A direct English equivalent for repaying malice with kindness.
Love your enemies
A biblical concept focusing on the emotional and moral choice to care for adversaries.
How to Use It
Used when someone chooses to be the bigger person and help an adversary or someone who was previously unkind to them.
Tone
Reflects a virtuous, noble, and morally upright stance.
Examples
昨日意地悪をされたのに、今日は助けてあげるなんて、本当に仇を恩で報ずる人だ。
To help them today even though they were mean to you yesterday—you truly are someone who repays a grudge with kindness.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses advanced vocabulary such as 'ada' (grudge) and the literary verb 'houzuru' (to repay), making the grammar and kanji level higher than basic proverbs.
仇
あだ / ada
grudge, harm, enemy
恩
おん / on
kindness, favor, debt of gratitude
報ずる
ほうずる / houzuru
to repay, to return, to report
Usage Profile
Usage note: While virtuous, it does not mean ignoring danger or allowing repeated harm; it is a moral choice to break the cycle of revenge.
Misread Risk
Be careful not to confuse this with 'Repaying kindness with harm' (on o ada de kaesu), which is the exact opposite.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This concept reflects teachings found in Chinese classics such as the Analects (Lunyu), advocating for the practice of responding to evil with goodness and virtue.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.