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归还 (guī huán) — to return (something borrowed or taken); to give back

Definition

归还 (guīhuán) is a formal verb meaning 'to return (something borrowed), to give back' — used in writing, official notices, and formal speech. More formal than the everyday 还 (huán); 退还 focuses on returning a purchased or rejected item/refund.

verb
to return (something borrowed or taken)to give back

Examples

  • 归还。
    Qǐng guī huán tā jiè de shū.
    Please return the book he borrowed.
  • 归还。
    Tú shū guǎn de shū bì xū àn shí guī huán.
    Books from the library must be returned on time.
  • 归还。
    Tā chéng nuò míng tiān guī huán nà běn shū.
    He promised to return that book tomorrow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

归guīreturn
还háigive back

归 and 还 both mean return or give back, together forming a word for returning something.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng還hái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6

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