rächt sich

comes back to haunt you

→ rächen

phrase Rare #38,035

comes back to haunt you Usually means that something has negative consequences later or backfires. With a person as the subject, sich rächen can mean “to take revenge”; rächt sich is the third-person singular present form.

GE: Diese Entscheidung rächt sich später.

EN: This decision will come back to haunt you later.

Das rächt sich.

That will come back to haunt you.

— Ikiru - Einmal wirklich leben (1952)

Das rächt sich sonst, wenn du älter bist.

You'll regret it when you're older.

— The Great Flood (2025)

Das rächt sich irgendwann!

This will come back to haunt you eventually!

— Die fabelhafte Welt der Amélie (2001)