退隐 (tuì yǐn) — to retire from public life, to withdraw into seclusion (often used in literary contexts)

Definition

Literary verb meaning to withdraw from public life into seclusion, typically with a sense of voluntary retreat. Distinct from everyday 退休 (formally retiring from a job).

verb
to retire from public lifeto withdraw into seclusion (often used in literary contexts)

Examples

  • ，退隐。
    Tā kàn pò hóng chén hòu, xuǎn zé tuì yǐn xiāng jiān.
    After seeing through the vanity of the world, he chose to retire to the countryside.
  • 退隐，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā zài shì yè diān fēng qī tuì le tuì yǐn, ràng hěn duō rén gǎn dào yì wài.
    This writer retired from public life at the peak of his career, surprising many people.
  • 退隐，。
    tuì yǐn Duō nián de lǎo jiào shòu tū rán huí dào xué xiào, jǔ bàn le yì chǎng jiǎng zuò.
    The old professor, who had been in seclusion for many years, suddenly returned to the university and gave a lecture.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

退tuìretire
隐yǐnwithdraw

退隐 combines 退 retire with 隐 withdraw to mean retire from public life.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 隱; 隐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
㥯
㥯㥯隱yǐn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隱 pairs 阝 (阜) with 㥯 to give the sound; the simplified 隐 is a shorthand, so its right side is not 㥯.

Open 隐 →

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