退 tuì — retreat; to decline; to move back; to withdraw
这件衣服太小了，我想退货。Zhè jiàn yī fu tài xiǎo le, wǒ xiǎng tuì huò.This piece of clothing is too small; I want to return it.
Common words: 退出 (tuì chū)、退休 (tuì xiū)、退步 (tuì bù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to withdraw"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to withdraw", including 退 (tuì), 缩 (suō). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to withdraw" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 退 (tuì), 缩 (suō) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tuì, suō — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 退 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 退 tuìretreat; to decline; to move back; to withdrawUseful words: 退出, 退休
- 缩 suōto withdraw; to pull back; to contract; to shrink; to reduceUseful words: 缩小, 缩短
Common words for these 2 "to withdraw" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 退 (tuì) — so "to withdraw" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
退出tuì chūto withdraw; to abort; to quit; to log out (computing)退休tuì xiūto retire (from the workforce); to go into retirement退步tuì bùto do less well than before; to make a concession; setback; backward step缩小suō xiǎoto reduce; to decrease; to shrink缩短suō duǎnto shorten; to reduce; to curtail收缩shōu suōto pull back; to shrink; to contract; (physiology) systole
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to withdraw".
缩 suō — to withdraw; to pull back; to contract; to shrink; to reduce
这件毛衣洗完以后缩水了。Zhè jiàn máo yī xǐ wán yǐ hòu suō shuǐ le.This sweater shrank after washing.
Common words: 缩小 (suō xiǎo)、缩短 (suō duǎn)、收缩 (shōu suō)
All 2 characters
Open 退、缩 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.