回 (huí): to circle, to go back, to turn around
回 (huí) is a Chinese character meaning “to circle.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 囗 (structural) and 口 (structural). It ranks #172 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 回 originally, a spiral signifying return. Its radical form 囗 (enclosure) appears in many related characters such as 四 (sì, four), 国 (guó, country), 图 (tú, diagram).
Definitions
- to circle
- to go back
- to turn around
Etymology & Origin
ideographicOriginally, a spiral signifying return
Decomposition: ⿴囗口 (layout: full-surround)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 回 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 回
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 回来verb | huí lai | to return | 2 |
| 回去verb | huí qu | to return | 2 |
| 回答verb | huí dá | to reply | 3 |
| 回头verb/adverb/conjunction | huí tóu | to turn round | 6 |
| 回忆verb | huí yì | to recall | 4 |
| 回报verb | huí bào | (in) return | 6 |
| 回顾verb | huí gù | to look back | 6 |
| 返回verb | fǎn huí | to return to | 5 |
| 回复verb | huí fù | to recover | 4 |
| 回收verb | huí shōu | to recycle | 5 |
| 回信verb/noun | huí xìn | to reply | 4 |
| 撤回verb | chè huí | to recall | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 回家verb | huí jiā | to return home |
| 回到verb | huí dào | to return to |
| 找回verb | zhǎo huí | to retrieve |
| 收回verb | shōu huí | to regain |
| 回归verb | huí guī | to return to |
| 回应verb | huí yìng | to respond |
| 回见verb | huí jiàn | See you later! |
| 回合noun | huí hé | one of a sequence of contests (or subdivisions of a contest) between the same two opponents |
| 回想verb | huí xiǎng | to recall |
| 回避verb | huí bì | variant of 迴避|回避 |
| 挽回verb | wǎn huí | to retrieve |
| 来回verb | lái huí | to make a round trip |
| 巡回verb | xún huí | to go around |
| 驳回verb | bó huí | to reject |
| 回电noun | huí diàn | to call sb back (on the phone) |
回 appears in 108 compound words: 69 as the first character, 27 as the last, and 5 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 回 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (19)
indomitable; unfazed by difficulties or challenges; (slightly derogatory) stubborn; persistent
to return home in a ceremonial procession (usually used in the imperative).; to return home.
soul-stirring (of drama, poem or artwork); heart-rending; deeply moving
leaving a rich aftertaste; (figuratively) memorable, lingering in memory
to return home in a ceremonial procession (usually used in the imperative).; to return home.
Showing 12 of 19 idioms containing 回.
Example Sentences
请记得回复我的邮件，我需要尽快知道你的决定。
Qǐng jìde huífù wǒ de yóujiàn, wǒ xūyào jǐnkuài zhīdào nǐ de juédìng.
Please remember to reply to my email; I need to know your decision as soon as possible.
对话上门做年夜饭的“95后”女生:回应春节当月收入..
duì huà shǎng mén zuò nián yè fàn de hòu nǚ shēng huí yīng chūn jié dāng yuè shōu rù . .
Dialogue on the door to do the New Year's Eve dinner of the "95" girls: response to the Chinese New Year when the monthly income...
一文回顾徐梦桃冬奥会风雪卫冕路:16年间参加5...
yī wén huí gù xú mèng táo dōng ào huì fēng xuě wèi 冕 lù nián jiān cān jiā . . .
An article review Xu Mengtao winter Olympic wind and snow defense road: 16 years to participate in 5...
年初二全国高速公路流量快速回升,午后车流持续保持高..
nián chū èr quán guó gāo sù gōng lù liú liáng kuài sù huí shēng , wǔ hòu chē liú chí xù bǎo chí gāo . .
The second day of the year the national highway traffic quickly rebounded, the afternoon traffic continued to remain high....
新春走基层·驻外记者回乡手记丨在中国,感受火箭一飞..
xīn chūn zǒu jī céng zhù wài jì zhě huí xiāng shǒu jì 丨 zài zhōng guó , gǎn shòu huǒ jiàn yī fēi . .
The new year is the first time that a foreign correspondent has returned to his hometown....
普通人也能开飞机回家过年了?飞2小时油费只要200..
pǔ tōng rén yě néng kāi fēi jī huí jiā guò nián le ? fēi xiǎo shí yóu fèi zhī yāo . .
Can ordinary people really fly home for the New Year? A two-hour flight costs just 200 yuan in fuel...
我回来了！啊？我们有客人啊？
Wǒ huílai le! ā? wǒmen yǒu kèrén ā?
I'm back! Oh? Have we got a guest?
多连达真的回来了？！
Duō lián dá zhēn de huílai le?!
Did Dorenda really come back?!
你什么时候旅游回来的啊？
Nǐ shénmeshíhou lǚyóu huílai de ā?
When did you get back from your trip?
我现在可以回家吗？
Wǒ xiànzài kěyǐ huíjiā ma?
Can I go home now?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 回 (huí) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 回 and 来?
How many strokes does 回 have?
What is the radical of 回?
What are the components of 回?
What are common words containing 回?
What characters sound the same as 回 (huí)?
Is 回 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 回 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.