TongTong
Sign in

退路 (tuì lù) — retreat route, escape path; leeway, something to fall back on, backup plan

Definition

退路 literally means a 'retreat route', but in modern use it usually means a backup plan or fallback option — the flexibility you keep before committing. Common with 留, meaning 'keep a way out'.

noun
retreat routeescape pathleewaysomething to fall back onbackup plan
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 退路，。
    Jūn duì méi yǒu tuì lù, zhǐ néng jì xù qián jìn.
    The army had no retreat route and could only continue forward.
  • 退路。
    Tā zuò shì cóng bù liú tuì lù.
    He never leaves himself any leeway when doing things.
  • 退路。
    Tóu zī qián yào gěi zì jǐ liú tiáo tuì lù.
    Before investing, you should leave yourself a fallback.

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.

退tuìretreat
路lùroute

退 denotes retreat, and 路 denotes a route.

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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