功成身退 (gōng chéng shēn tuì) — to retire gracefully after achieving success; to withdraw after winning merit

Definition

Classical idiom meaning to step down after accomplishing one's goals. Carries a positive, wise tone — choosing withdrawal as a virtue, not a defeat.

idiom
to retire gracefully after achieving successto withdraw after winning merit

Examples

  • 功成身退，。
    Xǔ duō gǔ dài míng chén dōu xuǎn zé gōng chéng shēn tuì, yǐ bǎo quán zì jǐ de míng shēng.
    Many famous ancient officials chose to retire after achieving success, in order to preserve their reputation.
  • 功成身退，。
    Tā zài gōng sī shàng shì hòu gōng chéng shēn tuì, bǎ guǎn lǐ quán jiāo gěi le nián qīng rén.
    After the company went public, he retired gracefully and handed management over to the younger generation.
  • 功成身退，。
    gōng chéng shēn tuì Bù jǐn shì yì zhǒng zhì huì, yě shì yì zhǒng rén shēng jìng jiè.
    Retiring after success is not only a form of wisdom but also a realm of life philosophy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

功成merit accomplished
功gōngmerit成chéngaccomplished
主谓Subject + predicate
身退self retires
身shēnself退tuìretire
主谓Subject + predicate

The sense of 功成 'merit accomplished' runs parallel to 身退 'self retires', giving the idea of retiring after success.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 皀皀jífood vessel
  • 夊夊suīdownward foot

退 originally showed 皀, a food vessel, with 夊, a downward foot, for leaving the table after eating. In modern 退, the vessel part 皀 changed into an unrelated shape.

Open 退 →

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