回来

huí lai

HSK 3.0 Level 2 Verb Very common

Definitions

1. to return; to come back

Word relationships

Counterparts

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• 回去 huí qu 回去 huí qu to return Complementary pair: 回来 (come back towards speaker) vs. 回去 (go back away from speaker): to return

Register variants

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• 归来 guī lái 归来 guī lái to return Literary variant of 回来: to return

Synonyms

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• 返回 fǎn huí 返回 fǎn huí to return to Formal written equivalent of 回来: to return to

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with 从 (from): 从...回来 (come back from...), e.g., 他从北京回来 (He came back from Beijing).

Common mistakes

回来 is directional: use 来 (come) when moving toward the speaker; use 回去 when moving away. Confusing them changes perspective.

Example Sentences

5 shown

我一会儿就 回来 。

I'll be back in a moment.

他当天就 回来 了。

He came back the same day.

你什么时候 回来 ？

When will you come back?

他刚从外地 回来 。

He just came back from another part of the country.

此后，他再也没有 回来 。

After this, he never came back.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 回来

• 来回来去 来回来去 lái huí lái qù: repeatedly
• 来回来去地 来回来去地 lái huí lái qù de: backwards and forwards
• 话又说回来 话又说回来 huà yòu shuō huí lai: (but) then again; (but) on the other hand
• 话说回来 话说回来 huà shuō huí lai: (but) then again; (but) on the other hand
• 赚回来 赚回来 zhuàn huí lai: to earn back (money one invested, wasted etc)

Child Words of 回来

• 来 来 lái: to come
• 回 回 huí: to circle