Definitions
(verb)
to return; to resume; to restore; to recover
(verb,adverb)
to repeat; again
(adjective)
complex; compound; composite
(verb)
to reply; to answer
Etymology
Pictograph of a foot entering or exiting a building, representing the meaning "to return".
About
The character "复" in its current simplified form functions as a merger of two traditional characters, "復" and "複", inheriting and blending their core meanings. Its etymological origin lies in the concept of return or repetition, with an early pictographic element depicting a foot reversing direction. Structurally, the traditional form "復" incorporates this semantic component alongside a phonetic element, explicitly conveying the idea of "to go and return" or "to repeat". Over time, this fundamental sense of cyclical return extended metaphorically to encompass meanings of reply, recovery, and restoration. The other traditional character, "複", with its added component suggesting a lining or double layer, specifically denoted duality, as in "complex" or "compound". The simplified "复" now carries this combined semantic load, representing both the action of returning or repeating and the state of being doubled or multiple, a consolidation that reflects its historical journey from a specific pictorial idea to a broad conceptual hinge.
Example Sentences Hide
我经常复习课文。
请重复你的问题。
他的病已经恢复了。
这个问题很复杂。
我需要复印这份文件。
医生建议他下周复诊。
他们决定复婚了。
经过多次反复讨论，我们终于达成了协议。