知难而退
知难而退 (zhī nán ér tuì) literally means “know difficulty and retreat” and expresses “back off once the difficulty is clear; often, give up when it gets hard”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: zhi nan er tui, zhi nan er tui,知难而退 meaning, 知难而退 in english
Back off once the difficulty is clear; often, give up when it gets hard
Pronunciation: zhī nán ér tuì Literal meaning: Know difficulty and retreat
Origin & Usage
The Zuo Zhuan records the Jin commanders arguing before an engagement with Chu: Chu had already made peace with Zheng, its army was in good order, and the case for withdrawing was that a fight now had nothing left to win. Those who insisted on pressing forward were beaten. In its original setting the phrase is praise for judgement — knowing (知) the difficulty (难) and pulling back (退) is what a competent commander does. Modern use has drifted, and it now often carries a sting: said of somebody else, it usually means they gave up when things got hard.
Examples
English: "He wisely chose to step back when the challenges became overwhelming"
Chinese: 当困难变得无法承受时，他明智地选择了退缩
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
以退为进
yǐ tuì wéi jìn
Strategic retreat for ultimate victory
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退避三舍
tuì bì sān shè
Make concessions to avoid conflict
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知难而进
zhī nán ér jìn
Press on despite awareness of challenges
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迎难而上
yíng nán ér shàng
Persevere through challenges
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一鼓作气
yī gǔ zuò qì
Complete in one effort
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鸦雀无声
yā què wú shēng
Completely silent; so quiet you could hear a pin drop
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志在四方
zhì zài sì fāng
Broad aspirations
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有备无患
yǒu bèi wú huàn
Trouble skips the prepared
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 知难而退 mean in English?
知难而退 (zhī nán ér tuì) literally translates to “Know difficulty and retreat” and is used to express “Back off once the difficulty is clear; often, give up when it gets hard”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 知难而退 used?
Situation: He wisely chose to step back when the challenges became overwhelming
What is the pinyin for 知难而退?
The pinyin pronunciation for 知难而退 is “zhī nán ér tuì”.