TraceHanzi

返回 meaning in English

fǎnhuí

to return to; to come (or go) back

HSK 5verb13 strokes

Meaning of 返回

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

fǎnhuí
  1. to return to
  2. to come (or go) back

How to use 返回

返回 is more formal than 回来 or 回去 and appears often in announcements, travel, and on screens. It usually takes a place as its object. Example: 我们明天返回北京。(Wǒmen míngtiān fǎnhuí Běijīng.) We return to Beijing tomorrow.

返 (fǎn) has the walking radical 辶 with 反 (fǎn, reverse), so picture walking in reverse. 回 (huí) looks like a box inside a box, like going back to where you started.

Common mistake: Learners often write 返 with 又 alone or confuse it with 饭 (fàn, rice), which shares 反 but has the food radical 饣. Also remember 返 is third tone, not fourth like 饭.

返回 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

乔qiáo纳nà斯sī返fǎn回huí了le车chē站zhàn。
Jonas headed back to the station.
当dāng迈mài克kè返fǎn回huí到dào简jiǎn的de家jiā的de时shí候hòu，她tā睡shuì得de正zhèng熟shú。
When Mike returned to Jane's house, she was sleeping.
他tā总zǒng有yǒu一yī天tiān要yào返fǎn回huí日rì本běn。
One day he will return to Japan.
暴bào风fēng雪xuě使shǐ得de我wǒ们men难nán以yǐ返fǎn回huí营yíng地dì。
The blizzard made it difficult for us to return to the camp.
一yí个gè小xiǎo时shí后hòu，她tā返fǎn回huí了le。
She came back an hour later.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

返 fǎn · to restore · 7 strokes

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7

回 huí · to go back · 6 strokes

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6

Related words

Words that share a character with 返回.

回来huíláito return; to come back
回家huí jiāto return home
回去huíqùto return; to go back
回到huídàoto return to
回答huídáto reply; to answer; reply; answer
回国huí guóto return to one's home country
收回shōuhuíto regain; to retake
回复huífùto recover; to revert; to return to (good health, normal condition etc); variant of 回覆[hui
回忆huíyìto recall; memories
回头huítóuto turn round; to turn one's head; later; by and by
回报huíbào(in) return; reciprocation
回避huíbìto shun; to avoid (sb)

Questions about 返回

What does 返回 mean?

返回 (fǎnhuí) means "to return to; to come (or go) back" and is used as a verb.

How do you write 返回?

返回 is made of 2 characters: 返 (7 strokes), 回 (6 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.

Is 返回 an HSK word?

Yes. 返回 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What does 返回 mean on a phone or website button?

It means Back, as in going to the previous page or screen. You will see it on apps, websites, and menus all the time.

Can I use 返回 in casual conversation instead of 回来?

You can, but it sounds a bit formal. In everyday speech people usually say 回来 (huílái), 回去 (huíqù), or 回家 (huí jiā).

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