退位 (tuì wèi) — to abdicate (the throne)

Definition

Literally 'step back from the throne': a monarch formally gives up power, usually voluntarily. Distinct from 推翻 (overthrow a ruler) or 让位 (yield one's place, broader use).

verb

to abdicate (the throne)

Examples

退位。
Guó wáng xuān bù tuì wèi.
The king announced his abdication.
。
Tā qù nián tuì le wèi.
He abdicated last year.
退位。
Zhè wèi huáng dì bèi pò tuì wèi.
This emperor was forced to abdicate.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

退tuìwithdraw

位wèithrone

退 means withdraw and 位 is the throne, giving leaving the throne.

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

人人rénman

Sound part声符shēngfú

立

立lì位wèi

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

位 combines 人 (man), related to people, with 立, which gives the sound. It was often simply written as 立.

Open 位 →

Appears in

Government & Politics