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退回 (tuì huí) — (transitive) to return (an item), to send back; (intransitive) to go back, to retreat

Definition

退回 pairs the 'send back' sense of 退 with 回's 'return' — covering both sending an item back and going back to a place. Use it for physical items or paths; 退还 is for borrowed things/refunds, and 撤回 for revoking statements or troops.

verb
(transitive) to return (an item)to send back(intransitive) to go backto retreat

Examples

  • 退回？
    Wǒ zài wǎng shàng mǎi de dōng xī kě yǐ tuì huí ma?
    Can I return the items I bought online?
  • ，退回。
    Shēn qǐng cái liào yǒu wù, qǐng tuì huí chóng xīn tián xiě.
    The application materials have errors; please send them back and fill them out again.
  • ，退回。
    Qián fāng méi yǒu lù le, wǒ men zhǐ néng tuì huí dào qǐ diǎn.
    There is no road ahead; we have to go back to the starting point.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

退tuìreturn
回huíback

The 退 sense of returning is reinforced by the 回 sense of back, giving send back.

Characters in this word

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

  • 皀皀jífood vessel
  • 夊夊suīdownward foot

退 originally showed 皀, a food vessel, with 夊, a downward foot, for leaving the table after eating. In modern 退, the vessel part 皀 changed into an unrelated shape.

Open 退 →

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 7-9

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