知难而退

Traditional form:

知難而退

Pinyin (reading):

zhīnán'értuì

Definitions:

• lit. to sound out the difficulties and retreat to avoid defeat (idiom)
• fig. to back out of an awkward situation; to get out on finding out what it's really like

Characters:

• 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
• 难 - hard, difficult, arduous; unable
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw

Traditional characters:

• 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
• 難 - hard, difficult, arduous; unable
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw