败退 (bài tuì) — to retreat in defeat

Definition

'To retreat in defeat' — emphasizes losing the fight while withdrawing, stronger than 撤退 (a neutral withdrawal). Often collocates with 被迫 to highlight being forced back.

verb
to retreat in defeat

Examples

  • 败退。
    Dí rén bèi pò bài tuì.
    The enemy was forced to retreat in defeat.
  • ，败退。
    Jīng guò yì chǎng jī zhàn, tā men zuì zhōng bài tuì le.
    After a fierce battle, they eventually retreated in defeat.
  • 败退。
    Lì shǐ shàng duō cì bài tuì ràng tā men xué huì le zhàn lüè tiáo zhěng.
    Historically, many retreats in defeat taught them strategic adjustments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

败bàidefeated
退tuìretreat

败 (defeated) + 退 (retreat) -> to retreat after being defeated.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 敗; 败 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūstrike
Sound part声符shēngfú
貝
貝bèi敗bài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敗 has 貝 as the sound component and 攴 (written 攵) meaning strike. The simplified 败 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 败 →

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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