Definitions
(verb)
to return; to go back
(verb)
to turn around; to revolve
(verb)
to answer; to respond
(noun)
time; instance
Etymology
Depicts water rotating around in a circle.
About
The character "回" originated as a pictograph representing a spiral or something that turns back on itself, a form which is still directly visible in its current structure of a square enclosure within another square enclosure. Its core meaning derived from this concept of circling or returning, giving it the primary sense of "to return", "to go back", or "to reply". Over time, this foundational idea extended to signify events that happen once, acting as a measure word for occurrences, and further broadened to describe things that are layered or coiled, such as in "回廊" (winding corridor). The traditional form of the character is identical to the simplified one.
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈回来了。
我明天回上海。
她回电话了。
请回答我的问题。
他回家后吃了饭。
我回宿舍拿书。
他回忆起童年时光。
如果你回信，我会很高兴。