引退
いんたい · intai · JLPT N3 · noun
retirement
引退 = pull + retreat: you pull yourself back from work
引 (in) means to pull or draw, as in 引く (hiku). 退 (tai) means to retreat or withdraw, as in 退く (shirizoku). Together they mean drawing yourself back from active life. The word is used for athletes and performers stepping down, as well as for ordinary retirement.
引 — bow 弓 + vertical stroke 丨
A compound ideograph showing a bow 弓 with a vertical line 丨 representing the drawn bowstring. The original meaning was 'to draw a bow,' which extended to 'pull,' 'lead,' 'guide,' and 'cite.' The vertical stroke depicts the action of pulling the string back.
退 — walk radical 辶 + 艮 (stop/halt)
退 combines the walking/movement radical 辶 with 艮, which carries a sense of stopping or turning back. Together they depict the action of moving backward or withdrawing. The original sense of retreating or stepping back has remained stable through history.