推迟

• Pinyin: tuī chí
• Hanzi breakdown: 推 = 扌(hand) + 隹 (bird, phonetic); 迟 = 辶(movement) + 尺 (ruler, phonetic)

Meaning

To postpone; to delay; to put off to a later time.

Used when a planned event or action is moved to a later time than originally scheduled. More formal than saying 'later.' The opposite is 提前 (tíqián, to bring forward/advance). Common in formal and semi-formal contexts such as announcements about meetings, flights, and events.

Examples

1. 由于恶劣天气，户外运动会推迟到下周末举行。 Due to bad weather, the outdoor sports day has been postponed to next weekend.
2. 这次会议推迟了一个小时，请大家耐心等待通知。 This meeting has been delayed by one hour — please wait patiently for further notice.
3. 他一直在推迟这个重要决定，始终拿不定主意。 He has been putting off this important decision and still cannot make up his mind.

Usage Guide

Context: work, travel, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 演出推迟了三十分钟开始。(The performance started thirty minutes late.)
• 请不要再推迟了，这件事必须尽快处理。(Please don't delay any further — this matter must be dealt with as soon as possible.)

Don't Say

• 推迟 ≠ 取消 — 推迟 means to postpone to a later time; 取消 means to cancel entirely. Confusing the two can cause serious misunderstandings.

Origin & History

Compound of 推 (to push, from 扌 hand + 隹 bird phonetic) and 迟 (late/slow, from 辶 movement + 尺 ruler phonetic), together conveying the idea of pushing something back in time.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal