Definition
退隐 is a formal, literary verb meaning 'to retire from public life' or 'to withdraw into seclusion'—often associated with the traditional Chinese ideal of living as a recluse (隐士). It is a separable verb (离合词): the object 隐 can split off after 退 when inserting aspect markers or duration/time, as in 退了隐 ('have retired into seclusion'). Unlike 退休 (retire from work/age-based), 退隐 emphasizes a voluntary, lifestyle-based withdrawal from worldly affairs, popular in classical poetry and historical narratives.
v.o.
to retire from public lifeto withdraw into seclusion (often used in literary contexts)
Examples
- ，退隐。Tā kàn pò hóngchén hòu, xuǎnzé tuì yǐn xiāngjiān.After seeing through the vanity of the world, he chose to retire to the countryside.
- 退隐，。Zhè wèi zuòjiā zài shìyè diānfēng qī tuì le tuì yǐn, ràng hěnduō rén gǎndào yìwài.This writer retired from public life at the peak of his career, surprising many people.
- 退隐，。tuì yǐn duōnián de lǎo jiàoshòu tūrán huí dào xuéxiào, jǔbàn le yì chǎng jiǎngzuò.The old professor, who had been in seclusion for many years, suddenly returned to the university and gave a lecture.
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