(chè tuì) - to retreat, to withdraw in Mandarin
chètuìTraditional: 撤退
Translation
to retreat, to withdraw
Word origin
A compound of 撤 (chè, to remove, to pull away) and 退 (tuì, to draw back), so to pull back and go back.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 撤 (chè, to pull away) + 退 (tuì, to draw back)
Stroke order
撤
退
Examples
。
The army retreated last night.
。
They decided to withdraw from this city.
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The order to retreat came in the morning.
。
The enemy began to retreat northwards.
，。
The fire was too big, so the workers had to pull back.
撤退 (chè tuì) is an organised pulling back by a group under pressure. Armies do it, but so do fire crews, rescue teams and the staff of a building being evacuated. There is a decision behind it, usually an order, which is why 撤退的命令 is such a common phrase.
It is intransitive. The place you leave takes 从, and the direction you head takes 向 or 往: 从城市撤退, 向北撤退. You cannot 撤退 a thing; to pull something out you want 撤走 or 撤离.
English "retreat" is much broader and that is the trap. A quiet weekend away is not 撤退, it is 休养 or just 度假. Backing a car up is 倒车. Pulling out of a race or resigning from a group is 退出. Keep 撤退 for the situation where a force gives up ground.
Where this fits
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撤退: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "撤退" (to retreat, to withdraw): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 54.