The character 退 — “retreat”: how to write it and what it means
retreat; return
The Chinese character 退 is read tuì and means “retreat; return”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 退
退 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 退, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 退 is made of
On the left, 辶 “walk”: walking backward. The opposite of 进 “move forward, enter”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 退
- 退还return, refund (money)HSK 5
- 退休retireHSK 5
- 退出withdraw (from)HSK 5
- 后退retreat, back awayHSK 6
- 退税refund tax; tax refundHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 退?
退 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 退 mean?
退 means “retreat; return”. It appears in 退还 (“return”), 退休 (“retire”), 退出 (“withdraw”), 后退 (“retreat”).
How do you pronounce 退?
退 is read tuì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 退 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 退 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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