The character 回复 is formed by combining two meaningful components: 回, which pictographically represents a swirling enclosure and conveys the core idea of "returning" or "revolving back", and 复 (traditional: 復), which depicts a foot (夊) at a mound (𡕨, ancient form of 阜) and carries the sense of "again", "return", or "restore". Together, they create a compound ideograph where their individual meanings merge into the unified concept of "to return an answer", effectively visualizing the action of turning back (回) to restore or repeat a communication (复).