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回
huí
return
他明天会回北京。
He will return to Beijing tomorrow.
neutral
to return; to go back
我回家了。
I returned home.
火车回到站台。
The train returned to the platform.
Commonly used with direction complements like 来 (come back) or 去 (go back).
neutral
to answer; to reply
我回了他的邮件。
I replied to his email.
请回电话给我。
Please call me back.
Often used in contexts like returning a call, email, or message.
neutral
to turn around; to circle; to revolve
地球绕着太阳回。
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
他回头看了一下。
He turned his head to look back.
Can describe physical movement or abstract cycles.
neutral
a measure word for occurrences or times (of an action)
我已经回了他三次了。
I've replied to him three times already.
这件事我回了五回。
I've thought about this matter five times.
Used for counting instances of an action, similar to 'time' in English.
technical
(in Chinese chess) to move a piece back to a previous position
他回了一步棋。
He moved a piece back one step.
Specific to Chinese chess (象棋) terminology.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Direction Complements
Always pair 回 with 来 (come back) or 去 (go back) to specify direction. For example, 回北京来 (come back to Beijing) vs. 回北京去 (go back to Beijing).
Gold Rule
Measure Word Usage
Use 回 as a measure word for actions that can be repeated, such as replies (回信), thoughts (回忆), or moves in chess (回合).
Word Origin
From Old Chinese 回 (*ɢʷeː), originally depicting a circular path or returning motion. The character evolved from a pictogram of a curved road or a turning wheel.
Usage Notes
回 is highly versatile and context-dependent. Pay attention to direction complements (来/去) and objects (e.g., 回北京 vs. 回信). In speech, it often combines with other words to form fixed phrases (e.g., 回家, 回去).
Word Breakdown
囗
enclosure; surrounding
root口
mouth; speech
root汉英词典