TongTong
Sign in

告退 (gào tuì) — to ask to withdraw from a meeting; to resign from office

Definition

A formal verb meaning to ask to leave a meeting or to resign from office. It is a set phrase (离合词): insert 了 between 告 and 退 for completed aspect, as in 告了退.

verb
to ask to withdraw from a meetingto resign from office

Examples

  • ，告退。
    Huì yì hái méi jié shù, tā jiù qǐ shēn gào tuì le.
    The meeting wasn't over yet, but he stood up and asked to withdraw.
  • ，。
    Tā yīn wèi shēn tǐ bú shì, xiàng zhǔ chí rén gào le tuì.
    Due to discomfort, he asked the host for permission to withdraw.
  • 告退，。
    Lǎo bù zhǎng yǐ jīng gào tuì, bú zài cān yù zhèng wù.
    The old minister has already resigned and no longer participates in government affairs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

告gàoask/report
退tuìwithdrawal

告 (ask/report) and 退 (withdrawal) combine to mean asking to withdraw.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is unclear: one theory sees 告 as 壴 (a decorated drum) above 口 (an open mouth), while another sees a tongue sticking out of 口.

Open 告 →

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 →
Appears in
Workplace & Office

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.