The character 回 — “return”: how to write it and what it means
return
The Chinese character 回 is read huí and means “return”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 回
回 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 回, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 回 is made of
A frame inside a frame.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 回
- 回来come backHSK 2
- 回去go backHSK 2
- 回答answer; to answerHSK 3
- 回忆recall; memoryHSK 4
- 回信write back; reply letterHSK 4
- 回复reply (to a message)HSK 4
- 返回return (lit.)HSK 5
- 回收recycle (waste)HSK 5
- 撤回withdraw, recallHSK 6
- 回顾look back, reviewHSK 6
- 回头turn around; later, afterwardsHSK 6
- 回报repay; return, rewardHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 回?
回 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 回 mean?
回 means “return”. It appears in 回来 (“come back”), 回去 (“go back”), 回答 (“answer”), 回忆 (“recall”).
How do you pronounce 回?
回 is read huí. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 回 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 回 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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