退而求其次

Chinese

		retreat; to decline; to move back retreat; to decline; to move back; to withdraw	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to sth preceding it)	number of times; order; sequence number of times; order; sequence; next; second(ary); (measure word)
trad. (退而求其次)		退	而	求	其	次
simp. #(退而求其次)		退	而	求	其	次

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tuì'érqiúqícì

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄘˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): teoi³ ji⁴ kau⁴ kei⁴ ci³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tuì'érqiúqícì
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄘˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tuèi-ércióucícìh
    • Wade–Giles: tʻui⁴-êrh²-chʻiu²-chʻi²-tzʻŭ⁴
    • Yale: twèi-ér-chyóu-chí-tsz̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tueyerlchyouchyitsyh
    • Palladius: туйэрцюцицы (tujɛrcjucicy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡sʰz̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: teoi³ ji⁴ kau⁴ kei⁴ ci³
    • Yale: teui yìh kàuh kèih chi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: toey³ ji⁴ kau⁴ kei⁴ tsi³
    • Guangdong Romanization: têu³ yi⁴ keo⁴ kéi⁴ qi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɵy̯³³ jiː²¹ kʰɐu̯²¹ kʰei̯²¹ t͡sʰiː³³/

Idiom

退而求其次

1. to settle for the second best