回 meaning and stroke order
To go back; to return; to turn back; to turn around; to reply; to answer; classifier for literary divisions (acts of a play, sections or chapters of a classic book)
How to write 回, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 回
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to go back; to return; to turn back; to turn around
- to reply; to answer
- classifier for literary divisions (acts of a play, sections or chapters of a classic book)
- classifier for occurrences or times
- to curve
- to return
How 回 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Originally, a spiral signifying return.
Radical: 囗 (enclosure), shared by 39 characters on this site.
How to remember 回
回 (huí) is a small box 口 inside a big box 囗. The data says it was originally a spiral meaning return, so picture walking in circles that bring you back to the center.
回 is mostly used as a verb meaning to go back, often in words like 回家 (huí jiā) and 回来 (huílái). It also works as a measure word for times or occurrences, and it can mean to reply, as in 回答 (huídá). Example: 我明天回家。(Wǒ míngtiān huí jiā.) I am going home tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the inner box as a single stroke or draw the outer box closed first. Write the outer frame's left, top and right sides, then the inner 口, and seal the outer box with the bottom stroke last. Also keep the second tone in huí, since it is not huì as in 会.
Common words with 回
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 回来 | huílái | to return; to come back | HSK 1 |
| 回家 | huí jiā | to return home | HSK 1 |
| 回去 | huíqù | to return; to go back | HSK 1 |
| 回到 | huídào | to return to | HSK 1 |
| 回答 | huídá | to reply; to answer; reply; answer | HSK 1 |
| 回国 | huí guó | to return to one's home country | HSK 2 |
| 收回 | shōuhuí | to regain; to retake | HSK 4 |
| 回复 | huífù | to recover; to revert; to return to (good health, normal condition etc); variant of 回覆[hui | HSK 4 |
| 回忆 | huíyì | to recall; memories | HSK 5 |
| 回头 | huítóu | to turn round; to turn one's head; later; by and by | HSK 5 |
| 返回 | fǎnhuí | to return to; to come (or go) back | HSK 5 |
| 回报 | huíbào | (in) return; reciprocation | HSK 5 |
| 回避 | huíbì | to shun; to avoid (sb) | HSK 5 |
| 回收 | huíshōu | to recycle; to reclaim | HSK 5 |
回 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 回
Learning 回 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 回
How many strokes are in 回?
回 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 回 mean?
回 (huí) means to go back; to return; to turn back; to turn around; to reply; to answer; classifier for literary divisions (acts of a play, sections or chapters of a classic book). A common word with it is 回来 (huílái), meaning "to return; to come back".
How do you pronounce 回?
回 is pronounced huí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 回?
The radical of 回 is 囗, which carries the idea of "enclosure". Dictionaries list 回 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 回?
The traditional form of 回 is 迴 and 逥. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 回 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 回 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 回 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 回来 and 回去?
回来 (huílái) means to come back toward the speaker. 回去 (huíqù) means to go back away from the speaker. If you are at home and your friend is out, you say 你什么时候回来? (Nǐ shénme shíhou huílái?) to ask when they are coming back.
How is 回 different from 次 when counting times?
Both can count occurrences, as in 去过两回 (qùguo liǎng huí) and 去过两次 (qùguo liǎng cì), both meaning went twice. 次 is more common and neutral. 回 sounds more casual and spoken. 回 is also used for chapters of classic novels.