复归 (fù guī) — to return, to revert (to a former state or condition)

Definition

Formal/literary verb meaning to return or revert to a former state — stronger and more bookish than the everyday 回来, and more abstract than 恢复 (restore something).

verb
to returnto revert (to a former state or condition)

Examples

  • 复归。
    Shè huì yīng dāng fù guī hé xié yǔ wěn dìng.
    Society should return to harmony and stability.
  • 复归。
    Tā xī wàng néng fù guī dào jiǎn dān de shēng huó fāng shì.
    He hopes to return to a simple way of life.
  • 复归。
    Zhè zhǒng chuán tǒng zài jìn nián zhú jiàn fù guī.
    This tradition has gradually returned in recent years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

复fùreturn
归guīreturn

复 and 归 both point to return, so the word stresses coming back to a prior state.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →

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