退 — “retreat / withdraw” in Japanese

Grade 5たい, の

Radical ⾡ · radical 162 The building block this kanji is filed under

“retreat / withdraw” in Japanese is 退, read tai, no (たい, の). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 退職 (leaving a job).

Try it now

What does 退 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	退
Meaning	retreat / withdraw
Readings	たい, の
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	退職 (leaving a job)

How to read 退

退 is read tai (たい) or no (の) depending on the word.

Words with 退

退職
撤退
衰退

Learn 退 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 退

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

🐧 二十五年のペンギンが引退、三つの案から選ぶ Grade 5

Updated: 2026-08-28