Definition
知难而退 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to retreat upon realizing the difficulties' — it describes giving up or backing out when you see that a task or situation is too hard. The literal reading is 'know difficulty and retreat'. It can be used neutrally (as a sensible strategy) or critically (as a lack of perseverance), depending on context. Unlike the English 'retreat from difficulties', which sounds purely military, 知难而退 is used in everyday situations like studying, work, or relationships.
f.e.
to retreat upon realizing the difficultiesto give up when things get tough
Examples
- 知难而退，。Yù dào yì diǎn kùnnan jiù zhī, zhè bú shì hǎo xíguàn.Giving up at the first sign of difficulty is not a good habit.
- 知难而退，。Tā zuò shì cóng bù zhī, zǒng shì jiānchí dàodǐ.He never retreats from difficulties when doing things; he always persists to the end.
- ，知难而退。Zhège xiàngmù fēngxiǎn tài dà, wǒmen zuì hǎo zhī.This project is too risky — we'd better back out.
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