归隐

歸隱

guīyǐn

verb #49,766

Meanings

1 to retire to a life of seclusion
2 to withdraw from public life and live as a recluse
3 to go back to one's native place and live in seclusion

Characters

to hide; to live in seclusion

Examples

HSK 7-9

陶渊明辞官后归隐田园。

Táo Yuānmíng cí guān hòu guīyǐn tiányuán.

After resigning his post, Tao Yuanming retired to live in seclusion in the countryside.

HSK 7-9

他厌倦了城市生活，准备归隐山林。

Tā yànjuàn le chéngshì shēnghuó, zhǔnbèi guīyǐn shānlín.

He's tired of city life and is preparing to retreat to the mountains.

Tips

culture

Anchored in the Confucian / Daoist scholar-recluse tradition: officials who refused to serve a corrupt court would 归隐 - return home and farm, write, or wander mountains. The poster boy is 陶渊明 (Tao Yuanming, 365-427), whose poem 《归去来兮辞》 became the genre's anthem.

register

Literary. In modern speech, 退休 (to retire) covers regular career retirement; 归隐 keeps its classical aroma - used for celebrities or executives stepping out of the spotlight, often into the mountains or countryside.

Stroke Order

归 guī

隐 yǐn