退く

• Reading: どく
• Romaji: doku
• Kanji breakdown: 退 (tai/do) — retreat, withdraw, step aside
• Pronunciation: /do.kɯ/

Meaning

To step aside; to move out of the way; to withdraw; to retreat.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the く row (退かない, 退きます). When read as どく, it is a casual, spoken form meaning 'to get out of the way' — often used as a direct request (どいて！, move!). The same kanji can be read as しりぞく (more formal, to retreat/resign) or ひく (to withdraw). The どく reading is the most colloquial and frequently heard in daily life.

Examples

1. ちょっとそこ退いてくれる？ Could you move out of the way for a sec?
2. 熱い鍋が来るから退いてください。 A hot pot is coming through, so please step aside.
3. 道を塞いでいた猫がやっと退いた。 The cat blocking the road finally moved out of the way.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, spoken language, requests

Tone: direct

Origin & History

The kanji 退 combines 辶 (movement) and an element suggesting withdrawal. The colloquial reading どく likely developed as a shortened spoken form, distinct from the more literary しりぞく reading.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal