返

返

返 U+8FD4, 返 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8FD4 ← 迓 [U+8FD3] CJK Unified Ideographs 迕 → [U+8FD5]

Translingual

Han character

返 (Kangxi radical 162, 辵+4, 8 strokes in traditional Chinese and Korean, 7 strokes in simplified Chinese and Japanese, cangjie input 卜竹水 (YHE), four-corner 3130₄ or 3230₄, composition ⿺辶反)

References

• KangXi: page 1254, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 38758
• Dae Jaweon: page 1737, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3820, character 1
• Unihan data for U+8FD4

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Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 返
Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (反) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
扳	*praːn, *pʰraːn
板	*praːnʔ
版	*praːnʔ
瓪	*praːnʔ, *paːnʔ
昄	*praːnʔ, *braːnʔ, *paːnʔ
鈑	*praːnʔ
蝂	*praːnʔ
眅	*pʰraːn, *pʰraːnʔ
阪	*braːnʔ, *panʔ
魬	*braːnʔ
粄	*paːnʔ
反	*panʔ, *pʰan
返	*panʔ
坂	*panʔ
畈	*pans
販	*pans
汳	*pʰans
飯	*bonʔ, *bons

Etymology 1

trad.		返
simp. #		返
alternative forms		𢓉 翻 (faan1) Cantonese 番 (faan1) Cantonese

See 反 (OC *panʔ, *pʰan).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fǎn (fan³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄢˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): faan², faan¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): fan¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): fán
• Min Nan (POJ): hoán

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fǎn
    • Wade–Giles: fan³
    • Yale: fǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: faan
    • Palladius: фань (fanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fän²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: faan², faan¹
    • Yale: fáan, fāan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: faan², faan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: fan², fan¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːn³⁵/, /faːn⁵⁵/

Note:

• faan2 - literary;
• faan1 - colloquial.

• • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: fan¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fan³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fán
    • Hakka Romanization System: fan`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fan³
    • Sinological IPA: /fan³¹/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoán
    • Tâi-lô: huán
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hoarn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /huan⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /huan⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /huan⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /huan⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /huan⁴¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /pʉɐn^X/

Rime
Character	返
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	元 (66)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	府遠切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/pʉɐnX/
Pan Wuyun	/pʷiɐnX/
Shao Rongfen	/piuɐnX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/puanX/
Li Rong	/piuɐnX/
Wang Li	/pĭwɐnX/
Bernard Karlgren	/pi̯wɐnX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	fǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	faan2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*Cə.panʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*panʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	返
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	fǎn
Middle Chinese	‹ pjonX ›
Old Chinese	/*Cə.panʔ/
English	return
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	返
Reading #	1/1
No.	2969
Phonetic component	反
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	反
Old Chinese	/*panʔ/

Definitions

返

1. to return (to); to come or go back (to)

   alt. forms: 反

   返鄉下／返乡下 [Cantonese]  ―  faan¹ hoeng¹ haa^6-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to go back to one's hometown

   返屋企 [Cantonese]  ―  faan¹ uk¹ kei² [Jyutping]  ―  to go home

2. to return; to give back

   alt. forms: 反

3. (Cantonese) to go to

   返工 [Cantonese]  ―  faan¹ gung¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to go to work

   返學／返学 [Cantonese]  ―  faan¹ hok⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  to go to school

4. (Cantonese) back, returning to a previous state

   擠返／挤返 [Cantonese]  ―  zai¹ faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to put back; to return

   換返件衫／换返件衫 [Cantonese]  ―  wun⁶ faan¹ gin⁶ saam¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to change back one's clothes

   打返 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to return a hit; to hit back

   救唔返 [Cantonese]  ―  gau³ m⁴ faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  unable to be saved: unsalvageable, beyond hope, etc.

   諗返舊陣時／谂返旧阵时 [Cantonese]  ―  nam² faan¹ gau⁶ zan⁶ si^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  thinking back to older times

   去返轉頭／去返转头 [Cantonese]  ―  heoi³ faan¹ zyun³ tau⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to go back; to turn around

   搵返／揾返 [Cantonese]  ―  wan² faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to find (something that was lost)

   整返好 [Cantonese]  ―  zing² faan¹ hou² [Jyutping]  ―  to repair; to fix

   病返 [Cantonese]  ―  beng⁶ faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to fall ill again

   好返 [Cantonese]  ―  hou² faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to recover (from an illness)

   開始喐返／开始喐返 [Cantonese]  ―  hoi¹ ci² juk¹ faan¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to start to move again

   寫返英文／写返英文 [Cantonese]  ―  se² faan¹ jing¹ man^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  use English instead

   仲未寫返你／仲未写返你 [Cantonese]  ―  zung⁶ mei⁶ se² faan¹ nei⁵ [Jyutping]  ―  still hasn't written back to you

5. (Cantonese) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

   剩返兩粒飯／剩返两粒饭 [Cantonese]  ―  zing⁶ faan¹ loeng⁵ lap¹ faan⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  to have only two grains of rice left

   剩返地理未考完 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   From: 開放詞典 [Kaifang Cidian]

   zing⁶ faan¹ dei⁶ lei⁵ mei⁶ haau² jyun⁴ [Jyutping]

   I have just the Geography test left

6. (Cantonese) Used after verbs for starting a new, good action.

   沖返個涼 [Cantonese, trad.]
   冲返个凉 [Cantonese, simp.]

   cung¹ faan¹ go³ loeng⁴ [Jyutping]

   to enjoy a shower

   寫返啲嘢／写返啲嘢 [Cantonese]  ―  se² faan¹ di¹ je⁵ [Jyutping]  ―  to write something

   執返劑 [Cantonese, trad.]
   执返剂 [Cantonese, simp.]

   zap¹ faan¹ zai¹ [Jyutping]

   to go and have sex

   得閒仲係鍾意飲返兩杯。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   得闲仲系钟意饮返两杯。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   From: 開放詞典 [Kaifang Cidian]

   dak¹ haan⁴ zung⁶ hai⁶ zung¹ ji³ jam² faan¹ loeng⁵ bui¹. [Jyutping]

   When I have time, downing two glasses is always the best.

   • 1996, 李敏 (lyrics), “倒轉地球”, in 在乎您, performed by 劉德華:

     一起叫玩番足夠　一起跳否則生鏽 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     一起叫玩番足够　一起跳否则生锈 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     jat¹ hei² giu³ waan² faan¹ zuk¹ gau³, jat¹ hei² tiu³ fau² zak¹ saang¹ sau³ [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

Synonyms

• (to return):

Dialectal synonyms of 回 (“to return; to come/go back”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		回, 歸
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		回, 返回, 回歸
Mandarin	Beijing	回
	Taiwan	回
	Chengdu	轉, 回
	Malaysia	回
	Singapore	回
Cantonese	Guangzhou	返
	Hong Kong	返
	Macau	返
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	返
	Taishan	返
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	返
	Singapore (Guangfu)	返
Hakka	Meixian	轉
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	轉
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	歸
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	轉
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	轉
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	轉
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	轉
	Kuching (Hepo)	轉
Min Dong	Fuzhou	轉
	Singapore (Fuqing)	轉
Min Nan	Xiamen	轉, 倒
	Quanzhou	轉
	Zhangzhou	轉
	Zhao'an	轉
	Taipei	轉
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	轉
	Kaohsiung	轉
	Yilan	轉
	Changhua (Lukang)	轉
	Taichung	轉
	Tainan	轉
	Hsinchu	轉
	Kinmen	轉
	Penghu (Magong)	轉
	Penang (Hokkien)	轉
	Singapore (Hokkien)	轉
	Manila (Hokkien)	倒
	Chaozhou	轉
	Shantou	轉
	Haifeng	轉
	Singapore (Teochew)	轉
	Wenchang	轉
	Singapore (Hainanese)	轉
Wu	Ningbo	回, 轉 rare

Compounds

一去不返 (yīqùbùfǎn) 不返 二返投唐 回光返照 往返 (wǎngfǎn) 折返 (zhéfǎn) 返勾 返哺 返回 (fǎnhuí) 返抵 (fǎndǐ) 返旆 返景 返潮 (fǎncháo) 返照 (fǎnzhào) 返照回光 返璧 返程 返航 (fǎnháng) 返防

返魂 返魂草 迷而不返 迷而知返 迷途知返 (mítúzhīfǎn) 遣返 (qiǎnfǎn) 重返 (chóngfǎn) 返棹 返里 七返九還／七返九还 倦鳥知返／倦鸟知返 廢然而返／废然而返 徒勞往返／徒劳往返 慈烏返哺／慈乌返哺 樂而忘返／乐而忘返 流連忘返／流连忘返 (liúliánwàngfǎn) 無功而返／无功而返 (wúgōng'érfǎn) 由博返約／由博返约 留連忘返／留连忘返

積重難返／积重难返 (jīzhòngnánfǎn) 覺返迷津／觉返迷津 返來／返来 返吟復吟／返吟复吟 返國／返国 (fǎnguó) 返本還原／返本还原 返正撥亂／返正拨乱 返璞歸真／返璞归真 (fǎnpúguīzhēn) 返老歸童／返老归童 返老還童／返老还童 (fǎnlǎohuántóng) 返躬內省／返躬内省 返轡／返辔 返鄉／返乡 (fǎnxiāng) 返魂乏術／返魂乏术 (fǎnhúnfáshù) 迴光返照／回光返照 (huíguāngfǎnzhào) 還元返本／还元返本 還淳返樸／还淳返朴 還珠返璧／还珠返璧 駕返瑤池／驾返瑶池

Etymology 2

trad.		返
simp. #		返

Pronunciation

• Min Nan (POJ): tńg / túiⁿ

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• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Lukang, Sanxia, Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Taichung, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tńg
    • Tâi-lô: tńg
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngr
    • IPA (Singapore): /tŋ̍⁴²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tŋ̍⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Lukang): /tŋ̍⁵⁵/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Tainan, Kinmen): /tŋ̍⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tŋ̍⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan, Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: túiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tuínn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dvuie
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Yilan): /tuĩ⁵³/
    • IPA (Penang): /tuĩ⁴⁴⁵/

Definitions

返

1. (Hokkien) Alternative form of 轉／转 (tńg, “to go back; to return”).

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Japanese

Shinjitai	返
Kyūjitai [1]	返󠄁 返+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	返󠄄 返+󠄄? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

返

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. to come back, to return, to go back to

Readings

• Go-on: ほん (hon)
• Kan-on: はん (han)
• Kan’yō-on: へん (hen, Jōyō)
• Kun: かえす (kaesu, 返す, Jōyō)^{←かへす (kafesu, historical)}; かえる (kaeru, 返る, Jōyō)^{←かへる (kaferu, historical)}

See also

• 返(かえ)る (kaeru)
• 返(かえ)す (kaesu)

References

1. “返”, in 漢字ぺディア (Kanjipedia)‎ (in Japanese), 日本漢字能力検定協会, 2015—2023

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Korean

Hanja

返 (eumhun 돌이킬 반 (dorikil ban))

1. Hanja form^? of 반 (“return, revert to, restore”).

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Vietnamese

Han character

返: Hán Nôm readings: phản

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.