<blockquote>
<p>What would be the translation of &quot;returning the favour&quot; in this unfriendly sense?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;<strong>报复</strong>&quot; - retaliate, revenge, or <strong>get even with</strong>. It is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, or to do harm the same or similar in return for harm done.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-14T03:48:00.550Z
see BKRS: 以其人之道,还治其人之身 deal with a man as he deals with you; pay sb. back in his own coin
以眼还眼，以牙还牙 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; return blow for blow
名
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-14T14:42:41.097Z
@user6065Yes, they both are valid as both mean "报复 - return the favor".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-14T01:28:19.400Z
2024-07-14T01:46:33.047Z
2024-07-14T01:46:33.047Z
r13
<p>Just use &quot;还以颜色&quot;. Because it isn't that escalated, even in a negative way.</p>
<p>If it's really serious, use &quot;以牙还牙&quot;。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-18T17:44:35.950Z
2024-07-18T17:44:35.950Z
Ecne
<p>&quot;returning the favor&quot; is a common English expression, it is better to translate it as a Chinese saying or idiom</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E7%A6%AE%E5%B0%9A%E5%BE%80%E4%BE%86/4439278" rel="nofollow noreferrer">禮尚往來</a> 比喻被施以怎樣的行為，即以怎樣的行為回報 (gift giving should go both ways = return the favor)</p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%BB%A5%E7%89%99%E9%82%84%E7%89%99" rel="nofollow noreferrer">以牙還牙</a> 比喻对方怎样来,就怎样反击 (a tooth for a tooth = return the favor)</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-14T04:39:36.040Z
2024-07-14T04:39:36.040Z
Tang Ho
<p>I don't think the non-literal, satirical version of <em>I'll return the favour someday</em> will work in Chinese:</p>
<p>日后我会报恩的。</p>
<p>because 报恩 means return something good.</p>
<p>But you could say the unsatirical:</p>
<p>日后我会报仇的。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-14T07:18:48.437Z
2024-07-14T07:18:48.437Z
Pedroski
<p>How about 以怨報怨 ? This is native Chinese when 以牙還牙 is more or less imported.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-16T01:46:13.397Z
2024-07-16T01:46:13.397Z
fat penguin
<p>I was watching a TV program where a bunch of adolescents said to each other, &quot;I can't believe that they humiliated us! We need to do the same to them.&quot;</p>
<p>What would be the translation of &quot;returning the favour&quot; in this unfriendly sense?</p>
<p>On Google I can only find a translation of the positive sense, i.e. returning a good favour - 報答.</p>

<translation><phrase>
How to say "return the favour" in the sense of getting back at someone?
# How to say "return the favour" in the sense of getting back at someone?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-07-14)

I was watching a TV program where a bunch of adolescents said to each other, "I can't believe that they humiliated us! We need to do the same to them."

What would be the translation of "returning the favour" in this unfriendly sense?

On Google I can only find a translation of the positive sense, i.e. returning a good favour - 報答.

**Tags:** translation, phrase


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-07-14. Score: 1

> What would be the translation of "returning the favour" in this unfriendly sense?

"**报复**" - retaliate, revenge, or **get even with**. It is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, or to do harm the same or similar in return for harm done.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: see BKRS: 以其人之道,还治其人之身 deal with a man as he deals with you; pay sb. back in his own coin 以眼还眼，以牙还牙 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; return blow for blow 名  
> **username_1**: @user6065Yes, they both are valid as both mean "报复 - return the favor".  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-07-18. Score: 0

Just use "还以颜色". Because it isn't that escalated, even in a negative way.

If it's really serious, use "以牙还牙"。


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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-07-14. Score: 0

"returning the favor" is a common English expression, it is better to translate it as a Chinese saying or idiom

* [禮尚往來](https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E7%A6%AE%E5%B0%9A%E5%BE%80%E4%BE%86/4439278) 比喻被施以怎樣的行為，即以怎樣的行為回報 (gift giving should go both ways = return the favor)
* [以牙還牙](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%BB%A5%E7%89%99%E9%82%84%E7%89%99) 比喻对方怎样来,就怎样反击 (a tooth for a tooth = return the favor)


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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-07-14. Score: 0

I don't think the non-literal, satirical version of *I'll return the favour someday* will work in Chinese:

日后我会报恩的。

because 报恩 means return something good.

But you could say the unsatirical:

日后我会报仇的。


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### Answer by username_6 on 2024-07-16. Score: 0

How about 以怨報怨 ? This is native Chinese when 以牙還牙 is more or less imported.


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