归 meaning and stroke order
To return; to go back to; to give back to
How to write 归, stroke by stroke
5 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
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- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 归
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to return
- to go back to
- to give back to
- (of a responsibility) to be taken care of by
- to belong to
- to gather together
How 归 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Simplified form of 歸; a wife 帚 returning home; 追 provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 彐 (snout), shared by 9 characters on this site.
How to remember 归
归 comes from the traditional 歸, which pictures a wife (帚, a broom) returning home, with 追 giving the sound. In the simplified form, picture the two short strokes on the left as a person walking back, and 彐 on the right as the hand holding the broom at home.
归 means to return or go back, but it also means to belong to or to be someone's responsibility. The second meaning is very common in everyday speech: 这件事归我管 (zhè jiàn shì guī wǒ guǎn), this matter is my responsibility. It also appears in many set words like 回归 (huíguī) and 归还 (guīhuán).
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 臼 or as 习 instead of 彐, whose three horizontal strokes all stop at the right edge. Some also confuse 归 (guī) with 鬼 (guǐ, ghost) because they sound alike, so watch the first tone.
Common words with 归
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 回归 | huíguī | to return to; to retreat | HSK 7-9 |
| 归来 | guīlái | to return; to come back | HSK 7-9 |
| 无家可归 | wújiā-kěguī | (idiom) homeless | HSK 7-9 |
| 归还 | guīhuán | to return sth; to revert | HSK 7-9 |
| 归宿 | guīsù | place to return to; home | HSK 7-9 |
| 归属 | guīshǔ | to belong to; to be affiliated to | HSK 7-9 |
| 改邪归正 | gǎixié-guīzhèng | to mend one's ways (idiom); to turn over a new leaf | HSK 7-9 |
| 归结 | guījié | to sum up; to conclude; to put in a nutshell; conclusion; end (of a story etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 归纳 | guīnà | to sum up; to summarize | HSK 7-9 |
| 归根到底 | guīgēn-dàodǐ | after all; in the final analysis | HSK 7-9 |
| 归队 | guīduì | to return to one's unit; to go back to one's station in life | |
| 归于 | guīyú | to belong to; affiliated to | |
| 言归正传 | yánguīzhèngzhuàn | to return to the topic (idiom); to get back to the main point | |
| 同归于尽 | tóngguīyújìn | to die in such a way that sb (or sth) else also perishes; to take sb down with oneself |
归 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 归
Learning 归 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 归
How many strokes are in 归?
归 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 归 mean?
归 (guī) means to return; to go back to; to give back to. A common word with it is 回归 (huíguī), meaning "to return to; to retreat".
How do you pronounce 归?
归 is pronounced guī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 归?
The radical of 归 is 彐, which carries the idea of "snout". Dictionaries list 归 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 归?
The traditional form of 归 is 歸. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 归 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 归 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 归 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 归还 and 还?
Both mean to give something back. 还 (huán) is everyday and casual, as in 还书 (huán shū). 归还 (guīhuán) is more formal and appears in notices and official writing, like 请按时归还 (please return on time).
How is 归 used in the pattern A 归 B?
It means A belongs to B or is handled by B. For example, 钱归你 (qián guī nǐ) means the money is yours, and 归他负责 (guī tā fùzé) means he is in charge of it.