退居二线 (tuì jū èr xiàn) — (verb phrase) to withdraw from a leading position to a secondary or advisory role

Definition

A set phrase meaning a senior leader voluntarily steps down from the main role to an advisory one. Often used for retired officials or aging experts handing over to successors.

verb
(verb phrase) to withdraw from a leading position to a secondary or advisory role

Examples

  • 退居二线，。
    Lǎo chǎng zhǎng qù nián tuì jū èr xiàn, bǎ gōng zuò jiāo gěi le nián qīng rén.
    The old factory director stepped back to a secondary position last year and handed the work over to the younger generation.
  • 退居二线。
    Hěn duō lǎo jiào shòu tuì jū èr xiàn hòu réng rán zhǐ dǎo yán jiū shēng.
    Many senior professors still supervise graduate students after stepping back from their primary roles.
  • 退居二线，。
    Tā zhǔ dòng tuì jū èr xiàn, ràng gèng yǒu néng lì de rén lái guǎn lǐ gōng sī.
    He voluntarily stepped back to let more capable people manage the company.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ居jū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

居 is built from 尸 as the meaning part and 古 (gǔ) as the sound part.

Open 居 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →

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