回 (huí) means "to return / go back" — specifically back to a base place: 回家 (go home), 回国 (return to one's country), 回学校 (go back to school), 回宿舍 (go back to the dorm). The word already contains "back," so the destination attaches directly with no 到 and no 去: it's 回家, never *回到家去 for the plain "go home." Beyond motion, 回 also means "reply / respond" (回信, 回消息), serves as the directional complement 回来 / 回去, and doubles as a measure word for times and chapters (一回). One thing to flag from day one: 回 (huí) is a homophone of the far more common 会 (huì) "can / will / meeting" — different character, different tone.
Sense 1: return to a base place
回 + place, with the place a home base you're going back to. No preposition.
你今天几点回家？
nǐ jīntiān jǐ diǎn huí jiā
What time are you going home today?
放假了，我打算回国看看父母。
fàngjià le, wǒ dǎsuàn huí guó kànkan fùmǔ
It's the holidays — I plan to go back home to see my parents.
Sense 2: reply / respond
To "return" a message or call is 回: 回信 (reply to a letter), 回消息 (reply to a text), 回电话 (return a call). To answer a question, use the two-syllable 回答 (huídá) — bare 回 won't do that job.
不好意思，你的消息我忘了回。
bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ de xiāoxi wǒ wàng le huí
Sorry — I forgot to reply to your message.
他一直没回我电话。
tā yìzhí méi huí wǒ diànhuà
He never returned my call.
这个问题我一时回答不了。
zhège wèntí wǒ yìshí huídá bu liǎo
I can't answer this question off the top of my head.
Sense 3: directional complement 回来 / 回去
Attached to another verb, 回来 (huílai) and 回去 (huíqu) add "back (toward / away from the speaker)": 拿回来 (bring back), 送回去 (send back), 搬回来 (move back).
用完记得放回来。
yòng wán jìde fàng huílai
When you're done, remember to put it back.
太晚了，我们回去吧。
tài wǎn le, wǒmen huíqu ba
It's late — let's head back.
他还没回来，可能堵车了。
tā hái méi huílai, kěnéng dǔchē le
He's not back yet — probably stuck in traffic.
The full placement rules (where the object goes in 拿回来 vs 拿回家来) are on the directional-complement page.
Sense 4: measure word for times / chapters
回 counts occurrences, much like 次: 一回 (once), 好几回 (several times). It also names chapters in classical novels (章回小说), and lives in two must-know idioms: 怎么回事 "what's going on?" and 那是另一回事 "that's a different matter."
这样的事我遇到过好几回。
zhèyàng de shì wǒ yùdào guo hǎojǐ huí
I've run into this kind of thing several times.
外面怎么这么吵，到底怎么回事？
wàimiàn zěnme zhème chǎo, dàodǐ zěnme huí shì
Why is it so noisy outside — what on earth is going on?
The homophone: 回 (huí) vs 会 (huì)
Different characters, different tones (rising 回 vs falling 会), different jobs — 会 is "can / will / a meeting." They collide constantly in beginner writing, so it's worth a sentence that uses both:
别担心，我六点会回家的。
bié dānxīn, wǒ liù diǎn huì huí jiā de
Don't worry — I'll be home by six. (会 = will, 回 = go back)
The modal 会 has its own entry: 会 (huì) can / will.
Key collocations
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 回家 | huí jiā | go home |
| 回国 | huí guó | return to one's country |
| 回来 / 回去 | huílai / huíqu | come back / go back |
| 回信 / 回消息 | huí xìn / huí xiāoxi | reply to a letter / text |
| 回电话 | huí diànhuà | return a call |
| 回答 | huídá | answer (a question) |
| 回复 | huífù | reply (formal / written) |
| 一回 / 好几回 | yì huí / hǎojǐ huí | once / several times |
| 怎么回事 | zěnme huí shì | what's going on |
Grammar notes
回 is a motion verb that takes 了, 过, and complements: 回了 "went back," 回过 "have been back." Because it already encodes "back to base," it contrasts sharply with 去 (qù) "go (to a place)" and 来 (lái) "come" — you 回 somewhere you belong or are returning to, but 去 somewhere new. For the counting sense, 回 lines up with 次 (cì) as a verbal measure of frequency.
Common Mistakes
1. Adding 到/去 to the plain "go home." 回 already means "back to," so 回家 needs nothing extra.
❌ 我下班以后要回到家去。
Overbuilt — plain 'go home' is just 回家; 回到 needs a following clause.
✅ 我下班以后要回家。
wǒ xiàbān yǐhòu yào huí jiā
I'm going home after work.
2. Using 回 for a place that isn't your base. Going somewhere new for the first time is 去, not 回.
❌ 我下个月回美国旅游，以前没去过。
Wrong verb — you've never been, so it's 去 (go), not 回 (go back).
✅ 我下个月去美国旅游，以前没去过。
wǒ xià ge yuè qù Měiguó lǚyóu, yǐqián méi qù guo
I'm going to the US to travel next month — I've never been before.
3. Using bare 回 to answer a question. Messages take 回; questions take 回答.
❌ 请你回我的问题。
Incorrect — answering a question is 回答, not bare 回.
✅ 请你回答我的问题。
qǐng nǐ huídá wǒ de wèntí
Please answer my question.
4. Writing 会 for 回 (the homophone trap). They sound alike but are different words.
❌ 我已经会家了。
Wrong character — 'got home' is 回家; 会 (huì) means 'can/will'.
✅ 我已经回家了。
wǒ yǐjīng huí jiā le
I'm already home.
Key Takeaways
- 回 (huí) = "return to a base place": 回家, 回国, 回学校 — destination clips straight on, no 到, no 去.
- It also means "reply" (回信, 回消息, 回电话); to answer a question, use 回答.
- As a directional complement, 回来/回去 add "back"; as a measure word, 回 ≈ 次 (一回, 好几回).
- Mind the homophone: 回 (huí, return) vs 会 (huì, can/will) — 我会回家 uses both.
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- 去 (qù) — to goHSK 1 — 去 (qù) is 'go, away from where the speaker is': the destination attaches directly (去北京, no 'to'), it frames purpose in serial verbs (去买东西), and it works as a directional complement (回去, 拿去) — the mirror image of 来 (lái).
- 来 (lái) — to comeHSK 1 — 来 (lái) is 'come (toward the speaker)' — a full verb (他来了), a directional marker (进来, 拿来, 回来), a serial 'come / let me' (我来帮你), the diner's 'I'll have' (来一个), and 'bring about' (带来). It always points motion toward the here-and-now; 去 points away.
- Compound Directionals: Path + 来/去HSK 3 — Compound directional complements stack a path morpheme (上/下/进/出/回/过/起) and a deictic 来/去 after the verb: 走进来 'walk in (toward me)', 跑出去 'run out', 拿回来 'bring back' — and the object slots inside, before 来/去: 拿出一本书来 'take out a book'.