Definitions

huí (verb) to return; to go back
huí (verb) to turn around; to revolve
huí (verb) to answer; to respond
huí (noun) time; instance

Etymology

Depicts two mouths talking to each other.

About

The character "回" derives from an early pictograph depicting a spiral or whorl, which conceptually represented revolving or circular motion. Its structural composition of two concentric squares visually reinforces this notion of a path turning inward or enclosing a space. From this foundational sense of rotation, the character's meaning expanded to denote returning to a starting point, which then further extended into abstract applications such as giving a reply or counting occurrences of an event, thereby reflecting a shift from purely physical movement to include metaphorical and quantitative uses.

Example Sentences Hide

妈妈来了。

Māma huí lái le.

Mom has come back.

我明天上海。

Wǒ míngtiān huí Shànghǎi.

I will return to Shanghai tomorrow.

电话了。

Tā huí diànhuà le.

She returned the phone call.

答我的问题。

Qǐng huídá wǒ de wèntí.

Please answer my question.

家后吃了饭。

Tā huí jiā hòu chī le fàn.

After he returned home, he ate.

宿舍拿书。

Wǒ huí sùshè ná shū.

I went back to the dorm to get the book.

忆起童年时光。

Tā huíyì qǐ tóngnián shíguāng.

He recalled his childhood times.

如果你信,我会很高兴。

Rúguǒ nǐ huí xìn, wǒ huì hěn gāoxìng.

If you reply to the letter, I will be very happy.