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退步

Mandarin · pinyin tuì bù

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Characters in this entry

退: tuì · step back, retreat, withdraw
步: bù · step, pace; walk, stroll

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4 · tui4 bu4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 5 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

teoi3 bou6

Cantonese word readings for 退步. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to regress; to fall behind
to step back; to move back
to relent; to give in; to yield; to compromise; to concede

noun

escape route; route of retreat; way out
leeway; room (for negotiation, to maneuver, etc.); latitude; margin; space

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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