---
title: "Houtui Meaning: 后退 (hòutuì) Means “to step back”"
description: "后退 (traditional 後退, hòutuì) means “to step back; to retreat”. Hear its tones, see what 后 and 退 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houtui"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 后退 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

后退 hòutuì

## to step back; to retreat

## Its characters

1. 后 hòu behind
2. 退 tuì to retreat

## In a sentence

你可能需要后退几步。 You may want to take a few steps back.

张飞看见曹军后面的队伍开始往**后退**，第三次大喊：“要打又不打，要退又不退，到底想干什么！

From [喝断长坂桥 · Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/zhang-fei-at-changban-bridge-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-10#library-word-473-475)

[More about 后退](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%8E%E9%80%80)

## More words with 后 or 退

- [背后 bèihòu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/beihou)
- [此后 cǐhòu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/cihou)
- [过后 guòhòu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/guohou)
- [后代 hòudài](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houdai)
- [后果 hòuguǒ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houguo)
- [后悔 hòuhuǐ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houhui)
- [后来 hòulái](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houlai)
- [后面 hòumiàn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houmian)
- [后期 hòuqī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houqi)
- [后勤 hòuqín](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/houqin)

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