辞

• Pinyin: cí
• Hanzi breakdown: 辞 = 舌 (tongue, speech) + 辛 (bitter, laborious)

Meaning

To resign; to decline; words/diction. A verb meaning to take leave or refuse, also used as a noun referring to words or rhetoric.

As a verb: to resign from a position or politely decline an offer. As a noun: words, expressions, or rhetoric (as in 词 interchangeably in classical contexts). Common in compounds like 辞职 (resign), 辞别 (bid farewell), 推辞 (decline).

Examples

1. 他因为家庭原因辞了那份高薪工作。 He resigned from that high-paying job due to family reasons.
2. 主人再三挽留，客人还是辞了。 Despite the host's repeated attempts to keep them, the guest still took their leave.
3. 这篇文章辞藻华丽，但内容空洞。 This article has flowery rhetoric but empty content.

Usage Guide

Context: employment, formal farewell, writing

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 他已经辞了这个职位。(He has already resigned from this position.)
• 盛情难辞，我就接受了。(It was impossible to decline such hospitality, so I accepted.)

Don't Say

• 我辞了这顿饭 (Use 推辞 for declining invitations — bare 辞 for resignation sounds incomplete)

Origin & History

Originally written with 舌 (tongue) component, relating to speech. The meaning extended from speech/words to taking leave (saying goodbye words) to resignation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal