Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== shuāituì: 衰退 - Recession, Decline, Decay ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** shuaitui, shuāituì, 衰退, shuaitui meaning, Chinese for recession, economic decline in Chinese, what is shuaitui, memory decline Chinese, physical decay Chinese, HSK 6 vocabulary. * **Summary:** Learn the meaning of **衰退 (shuāituì)**, a key Chinese term for **recession**, **decline**, and **decay**. This comprehensive guide explores how **shuāituì** is used to discuss everything from an **economic recession** and a decline in health to the natural decay of a system. Understand its characters, cultural context, and practical usage with clear examples to master this important HSK 6 word. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shuāituì * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 * **Concise Definition:** To decline, deteriorate, or recede; a recession or decline. * **In a Nutshell:** `衰退` describes a gradual process of weakening, diminishing, or falling into a worse state. Think of it not as a sudden crash, but as a slow, downward trend, like a battery losing its charge or a kingdom losing its power over time. It's a formal term used for serious topics like economies, health, and industries. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **衰 (shuāi):** The core meaning of this character is "to decline," "to weaken," or "to fade." It depicts a process of losing strength, vitality, or importance. * **退 (tuì):** This character means "to retreat," "to move back," or "to withdraw." The 辶 (chuò) radical on the left is associated with movement. * Together, **衰退 (shuāituì)** literally means "to weaken and retreat." This combination powerfully captures the concept of a gradual, backward slide into a weaker state, perfectly describing a recession or a decline in function. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * In Chinese thought, `衰退` is often seen as a natural phase in a cycle, contrasting with `发展` (fāzhǎn, development) and `繁荣` (fánróng, prosperity). This cyclical view, influenced by concepts like Yin and Yang, sees decline not just as an end, but as part of a larger, ongoing process of change. It's a formal and objective term, frequently used in news reports, economic analysis, and medical diagnoses. * **Comparison to Western Concepts:** In English, we use different words for different contexts: "recession" (for economics), "decline" (for health or influence), "atrophy" (for muscles), and "deterioration" (for conditions). The Chinese term `衰退` is broader and can encompass all of these ideas. An American might say "the economy is in a recession" and "my grandmother's memory is declining." A Chinese speaker could use `衰退` in both sentences (`经济衰退` and `记忆力衰退`), highlighting the term's versatility in describing a loss of function or vitality across different domains. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * `衰退` is a formal word. You will hear it on the news or read it in articles, but it's less common in casual, everyday conversation unless the topic is serious. * **Economic Context:** This is the most frequent usage. It's the standard term for an economic recession. * e.g., `经济衰退` (jīngjì shuāituì) - economic recession * e.g., `全球性衰退` (quánqiúxìng shuāituì) - global recession * **Health and Biological Context:** It's used to describe the gradual decline of bodily or mental functions, often associated with aging or illness. * e.g., `记忆力衰退` (jìyìlì shuāituì) - memory decline * e.g., `身体机能衰退` (shēntǐ jīnéng shuāituì) - decline of physical functions * **Social and Historical Context:** It can describe the wane of an industry, a culture, or an empire. * e.g., `传统零售业的衰退` (chuántǒng língshòuyè de shuāituì) - the decline of the traditional retail industry * e.g., `罗马帝国的衰退` (Luómǎ Dìguó de shuāituì) - the decline of the Roman Empire ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 许多专家担心全球经济将陷入**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Xǔduō zhuānjiā dānxīn quánqiú jīngjì jiāng xiànrù **shuāituì**. * English: Many experts worry that the global economy will fall into a **recession**. * Analysis: This is the classic usage of `衰退` in an economic context. `陷入 (xiànrù)` means "to fall into," a common verb paired with `衰退`. * **Example 2:** * 随着年龄的增长，人的记忆力会自然**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Suízhe niánlíng de zēngzhǎng, rén de jìyìlì huì zìrán **shuāituì**. * English: As people age, their memory will naturally **decline**. * Analysis: Here, `衰退` is used to describe a biological process. `自然 (zìrán)` emphasizes that this is a normal, expected decline. * **Example 3:** * 这家百年老店的生意近年来开始**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā bǎinián lǎodiàn de shēngyi jìnniánlái kāishǐ **shuāituì**. * English: The business of this century-old shop has begun to **decline** in recent years. * Analysis: This shows `衰退` applied to a business. It implies a gradual downturn, not a sudden failure. * **Example 4:** * 缺乏锻炼会导致肌肉功能**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Quēfá duànliàn huì dǎozhì jīròu gōngnéng **shuāituì**. * English: A lack of exercise can lead to the **decline** of muscle function. * Analysis: `衰退` describes the weakening of a specific physical function (`肌肉功能`, muscle function). `导致 (dǎozhì)` means "to lead to" or "to cause." * **Example 5:** * 工业革命后，许多传统手工业都**衰退**了。 * Pinyin: Gōngyè gémìng hòu, xǔduō chuántǒng shǒugōngyè dōu **shuāituì** le. * English: After the Industrial Revolution, many traditional handicraft industries **declined**. * Analysis: `衰退` is used in a historical context to describe the wane of an entire sector. * **Example 6:** * 他的听力在过去五年里严重**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Tā de tīnglì zài guòqù wǔ nián lǐ yánzhòng **shuāituì**. * English: His hearing has severely **declined** in the past five years. * Analysis: The adverb `严重 (yánzhòng)` modifies `衰退` to show the degree of decline. * **Example 7:** * 政府正在采取措施来防止经济进一步**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài cǎiqǔ cuòshī lái fángzhǐ jīngjì jìnyībù **shuāituì**. * English: The government is taking measures to prevent further economic **decline**. * Analysis: This example shows `衰退` used as a noun. `进一步 (jìnyībù)` means "further." * **Example 8:** * 一个帝国的**衰退**通常是一个漫长而复杂的过程。 * Pinyin: Yī ge dìguó de **shuāituì** tōngcháng shì yī ge màncháng ér fùzá de guòchéng. * English: The **decline** of an empire is usually a long and complex process. * Analysis: Again used as a noun, `衰退` here refers to the entire historical process of a civilization's downfall. * **Example 9:** * 这座城市的**衰退**始于主要工厂的关闭。 * Pinyin: Zhè zuò chéngshì de **shuāituì** shǐyú zhǔyào gōngchǎng de guānbì. * English: The **decline** of this city began with the closure of its main factory. * Analysis: Demonstrates cause and effect, with `衰退` as the outcome. `始于 (shǐyú)` is a formal way to say "began with." * **Example 10:** * 如果我们不创新，我们的市场份额就会**衰退**。 * Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒmen bù chuàngxīn, wǒmen de shìchǎng fèn'é jiù huì **shuāituì**. * English: If we don't innovate, our market share will **decline**. * Analysis: A business context showing a conditional outcome. The decline is a direct result of inaction. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **`衰退` vs. `下降` (xiàjiàng):** This is a critical distinction. `下降` just means "to decrease" or "to go down" and can be used for anything (prices, temperature, numbers). `衰退` implies a more serious, systematic, and prolonged decline in **function, vitality, or overall health**. * **Correct:** 价格**下降**了。(Jiàgé **xiàjiàng** le.) - The price went down. * **Incorrect/Overly Dramatic:** 价格**衰退**了。(Jiàgé **shuāituì** le.) - Prices don't have "vitality," so this sounds strange. * **`衰退` vs. `退步` (tuìbù):** For skills like language or sports, `退步` (to regress, to fall behind) is the correct word. Using `衰退` is too formal and dramatic. It would imply a serious, perhaps medical, reason for your skill loss. * **Correct:** 我很久没说中文，所以**退步**了。(Wǒ hěn jiǔ méi shuō Zhōngwén, suǒyǐ **tuìbù** le.) - I haven't spoken Chinese in a long time, so I've gotten rusty. * **Incorrect:** 我的中文水平**衰退**了。(Wǒ de Zhōngwén shuǐpíng **shuāituì** le.) - This sounds like you have a neurological condition causing your language ability to decline. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[下降]] (xiàjiàng) - To decrease, go down. A more general and less severe term than `衰退`. * [[退步]] (tuìbù) - To regress, fall behind. Used for skills, studies, and personal progress. Much less formal than `衰退`. * [[恶化]] (èhuà) - To worsen, deteriorate. Focuses on a situation or condition becoming actively worse. It can be a faster process than `衰退`. * [[萧条]] (xiāotiáo) - Depression (economic). A more severe and prolonged economic crisis than a `衰退` (recession). * [[崩溃]] (bēngkuì) - To collapse, break down. Describes a sudden, catastrophic failure, whereas `衰退` is a gradual process. * [[萎缩]] (wěisuō) - To wither, shrink, atrophy. Often used for markets or muscles shrinking in size or strength. * [[发展]] (fāzhǎn) - Antonym: To develop, grow. The opposite process of `衰退`. * [[繁荣]] (fánróng) - Antonym: Prosperity, boom. The peak state of an economy or industry before a potential `衰退`.