知难而退 — “To retreat or give up when encountering difficulties”
知难而退 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to retreat or give up when encountering difficulties”. To know when to withdraw because a task is too challenging. Literally, “know difficulty and retreat”.
知难而退 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 知zhī
- 难nán
- 而ér
- 退tuì
知难而退 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 知难而退
Origin and Story of 知难而退
During the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Jin and Chu were constantly warring for dominance. The state of Zheng, caught between them, typically allied with Jin.
When Chu launched an invasion to subjugate Zheng, Jin responded by dispatching a large army led by generals such as Xun Linfu, Shi Hui, and Xian Gu.
As the Jin army approached, they learned that Chu and Zheng had already formed a strong alliance, making a direct military confrontation highly disadvantageous. General Xun Linfu, recognizing the formidable challenge, proposed to retreat, advocating the principle of 'knowing when to retreat in the face of difficulties.' General Shi Hui concurred with this prudent decision.
However, General Xian Gu vehemently disagreed and insisted on engaging the enemy. His stubbornness led to a disastrous battle where the Jin army suffered a crushing defeat.
Idioms Related to 知难而退
Synonyms of 知难而退
Antonyms of 知难而退
More idioms starting with 知
- zhī知yī一wàn万bì毕Grasp one, comprehend all
- zhī知yī一bù不zhī知shí十know one aspect, not the whole
- zhī知yī一ér而bù不zhī知èr二know one but not two
- zhī知bù不zhà诈yú愚The wise do not deceive the foolish
- zhī知yì义duō多qíng情understanding of loyalty and full of tender feelings
- zhī知zhī之wéi为zhī知zhī之，，bù不zhī知wèi为bù不zhī知know what you know, admit what you don't
- zhī知zhī之fēi非jiān艰，，xíng行zhī之wéi惟jiān艰Knowing is easy, doing is hard
- zhī知zhī之fēi非nàn难，，xíng行zhī之bù不yì易Knowing is easy, doing is hard
- zhī知shū书míng明lǐ理cultured and reasonable
- zhī知shū书zhī知lǐ礼well-educated and well-mannered
- zhī知shū书shí识zì字educated and literate
- zhī知shū书shí识lǐ礼educated and well-mannered
Questions about 知难而退
- What does 知难而退 mean?
- 知难而退 (zhī nán ér tuì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to retreat or give up when encountering difficulties”.
- How do you pronounce 知难而退?
- 知难而退 is pronounced zhī nán ér tuì in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 知难而退 literally mean?
- Literally, 知难而退 means “know difficulty and retreat”. It is used to mean “to retreat or give up when encountering difficulties”.
- Where does 知难而退 come from?
- 知难而退 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 知难而退?
- 原指作战要见机而行，不要做实际上无法办到的事。后泛指知道事情困难就后退。