HSK 5 · Verbs

退步 tuìbù “to regress” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 退步 means

  1. to regress
  2. to fall behind
  3. to get worse
  4. to do less well than before
  5. to make a concession
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • setback
  • backward step
  • leeway
  • room to manoeuvre

How to say 退步

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale退tuì4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale步bù4th tone, falling

退步 in a sentence

  1. 社会不是在进步，而是在退步。

    Shèhuì bú shì zài jìnbù, ér shì zài tuìbù.

    Society isn’t moving forward; it’s going backwards.

    Sentence #400613 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

How 退步 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 退 (tuì) with each of its parts in a different colour
退tuìto retreat; to withdraw
  • 艮stopping · gěnSound part
  • 辶walking form of 辵 · chuòMeaning part

辶 hints at the meaning (walking); 艮 (gěn) hints at the sound. Compare it with tuì.

The character 步 (bù) drawn as one shape
步bùa step

步 is a single shape of 7 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

Memory aidTwo feet, one in front of the other: a step.

How to write 退步

退 9 strokes · 步 7 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

退步 (tuìbù) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 退步 (tuìbù). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 退步

Words with 退

退tuì · to move back退休tuìxiū · to retire (from the workforce)撤退chètuì · to retreat衰退shuāituì · to decline

Words with 步

跑步pǎobù · to run步bù · step散步sànbù · to take a walk进步jìnbù · progress步骤bùzhòu · procedure逐步zhúbù · progressively让步ràngbù · to concede初步chūbù · initial步伐bùfá · pace地步dìbù · extent

More words: Common Verbs

统一tǒngyī · to unify吐tǔ · to spit (out)推广tuīguǎng · to promote退tuì · to move back往返wǎngfǎn · to go back and forth危害wēihài · to harm威胁wēixié · to threaten围绕wéirào · to revolve around

FAQs

退步 (tuìbù) means “to regress” or “to fall behind”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it tuìbù: tuì with a 4th tone, then bù with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 退步 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type tuibu with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 退步 from the suggestions. Typing tuibu into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
退步 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.