IdiomDaily LifeSwedish

lämna någon åt sitt öde

Meaning: To abandon someone, leaving them to deal with consequences on their own.

Literally: Leave someone to their fate

Example: “Guiden åkte hem och lämnade turisterna åt sitt öde.” — The guide went home and left the tourists in the lurch.

English equivalent: To leave someone in the lurch

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: Öde is fate. Leaving someone to their fate is abandoning them to whatever happens, with no further help. The phrase is shared with English and other languages and has no particular story behind it.

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