Definition

1. Noun:
   • Advance and retreat: "tiến thoái" refers to the dual concepts of moving forward and moving backward, often used to describe strategic movement or a situation involving both progress and withdrawal.
   • Movement or maneuver: It can describe the general ability or freedom to move or act in a situation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Quân địch đã bị cắt đứt đường tiến thoái. (The enemy's routes for advance and retreat have been cut off.)
  • Trong tình thế này, tiến thoái đều khó. (In this situation, both advancing and retreating are difficult.)

Advanced Usage

• "tiến thoái lưỡng nan": This is a fixed idiom meaning "to be in a dilemma" or "to be between a rock and a hard place," where both advancing and retreating seem problematic.
  • Anh ấy rơi vào thế tiến thoái lưỡng nan. (He found himself in a dilemma.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tiến (verb): to advance, to move forward.
• Thoái (verb): to retreat, to move backward.
• Lưỡng nan (adjective): difficult on both sides, dilemmatic.

Synonyms

• Tiến lui: advance and retreat (a near-synonymous phrase).
• Di chuyển: movement (a more general term).

Related Idioms

• "Tiến thoái lưỡng nan": As mentioned above, this is the primary and most common idiom using the word, describing a state of being caught in a difficult choice with no good options.

noun

1. advance and retreat
   • tiến thoái lưỡng nan
     between the devil and the deep sea