打退堂鼓

dǎ tuì táng gǔ

Dictionary entry

lit. to beat the return drum (idiom)

What does 打退堂鼓 mean?

打退堂鼓 (dǎ tuì táng gǔ) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. to beat the return drum (idiom)

2fig. to give up

3to turn tail

Character breakdown

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打dá(loanword) dozen · Taiwan pr. [da3]退tuìto retreat; to withdraw · to reject; to return (sth)堂táng(main) hall · large room for a specific purpose 鼓gǔold variant of 鼓[gu3]

Reviewed examples

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How to pronounce 打退堂鼓

打退堂鼓

dǎ tuì táng gǔ

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.