ritirarsi
/ri.tiˈrar.si/
To stand down in Italian is to say ritirarsi.
ritirarsi is used to express the act of withdrawing from a position, or stopping participation in a conflict or competition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is reflexive, which means you must use a reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) to show that the subject is the person withdrawing.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ri.tiˈrar.si/.
Did you know?
- The root word ritirare is used for 'withdrawing' money from an ATM. In Italian, you do not 'take out' cash but 'withdraw' it using the same base verb as 'stand down'.
- The word ritirarsi can also be used idiomatically to mean 'to go to bed' or 'to retire' for the night, similar to the English 'retiring to one's chambers'.
- Italian has a specific nuance where ritirarsi can mean 'to retreat' into oneself emotionally. It is often used to describe a person becoming antisocial or introverted.
Examples in context
- Il conflitto è finito, deponi le armiThe conflict is over, stand down
- Fermati, non fare sciocchezzeStand down, don't do anything foolish
- Il candidato ha deciso di ritirarsi dalla competizione.The candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.
- Ha deciso di ritirarsi dalla corsa.He decided to withdraw from the race.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a promotion they both applied for.
- FrancescoSofia, penso che dovresti ritirarsi dalla competizione.Sofia, I think you should stand down from the competition.
- SofiaPerché dici questo, Francesco?Why do you say that, Francesco?
- FrancescoIl capo ha già scelto un altro profilo.The boss has already chosen another profile.
- SofiaCapisco, allora preferisco ritirarsi adesso.I understand, then I prefer to stand down now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ritirarsi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
