退步

tuìbù

HSK 7

退步 — tuìbù

1. to perform worse than before; to decline in ability or standard

   他的汉语水平最近退步了，听力比以前差多了。 tā de hànyǔ shuǐpíng zuìjìn tuìbù le tīnglì bǐ yǐqián chà duō le — His Chinese level has declined recently; his listening is much worse than before.

2. to make a concession; to give ground in an argument or negotiation

   为了达成协议，他不得不在价格上退步一些。 wèile dáchéngxiéyì tā bùdé bùzài jiàgé shàng tuìbù yīxiē — To reach an agreement he had to concede a little on the price.

3. setback; backward step (a negative change or regression)

   这次考试失利是他学习上的一次退步，不要灰心。 zhècì kǎoshì shīlì shì tā xuéxí shàng de yīcì tuìbù búyào huīxīn — This exam failure is a setback in his studies; don't be discouraged.

4. leeway; room to maneuver; fallback (space for compromise or alternative)

   合同里留有退步的余地，以便双方以后调整。 hétóng lǐ liúyǒu tuìbù de yúdì yǐbiàn shuāngfāng yǐhòu tiáozhěng — The contract leaves room for concessions so both sides can adjust later.