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返回 (fǎn huí) — to return, to come back, to go back

Definition

Neutral verb 'to return (to)' used for both people and things, often in slightly formal or written contexts like travel or tech. Direction-neutral — 回来 is 'come back', 回去 is 'go back'.

verb
to returnto come backto go back

Examples

  • 返回。
    Tā míng tiān fǎn huí běi jīng.
    He will return to Beijing tomorrow.
  • 返回。
    Tā xià wǔ sān diǎn fǎn huí jiā.
    She returns home at three in the afternoon.
  • 返回。
    Wǒ men hái méi fǎn huí gōng sī.
    We haven't returned to the office yet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

返fǎnreturn
回huígo back

返 and 回 both mean going back, so together they emphasize returning.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn返fǎn
Same sound today

返 pairs 辶 (movement) with 反 (sound, with the sense of returning); the whole character originally meant coming back along the path one came from.

Open 返 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 55000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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