回

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

回 (Kangxi radical 31, 囗+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 田口 (WR), four-corner 6060₀, composition ⿴囗口)

Derived characters

• 佪, 徊, 洄, 𤞑, 恛, 㻁, 硘, 絗, 蛔, 䛛, 䤧, 鮰, 廻, 迴, 痐, 㐭, 㔽, 靣, 茴, 啚, 啬, 嗇, 䨓, 𩫖, 𠬸
• 瀒, 穯, 䯬
• 𰁿

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 216, character 26
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4690
• Dae Jaweon: page 422, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 712, character 2
• Unihan data for U+56DE

Chinese

Wikipedia has an article on:

• 回

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 回
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形) : rotation (originally a spiral).

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

"Hui"

From earlier name 回回 (huíhuí), variant of 回鶻／回鹘 (Huíhú), from Old Turkic 𐰆𐰖𐰍𐰆𐰺 (uygur). Doublet of 維吾爾／维吾尔 (Wéiwú'ěr).

Pronunciation

Definitions

回

1. to turn around

   alt. forms: 迴／回 (huí)

   往回走  ―  wǎng huí zǒu  ―  to turn back

   回過身來／回过身来  ―  huí guò shēn lái  ―  to turn around

   回頭看了一眼／回头看了一眼  ―  huítóu kàn le yī yǎn  ―  turned around (one's head) and had a look

2. to return; to go back

   alt. forms: 迴／回 (huí)

   回家  ―  huíjiā  ―  to return home

   我明天要回北京了。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ míngtiān yào huí Běijīng le.

   I am returning to Beijing tomorrow.

3. Used after a verb to indicate a movement back to the original place; back

   使用後請放回原位。 [MSC, trad.]
   使用后请放回原位。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shǐyòng hòu qǐng fàng huí yuánwèi.

   Please put it back after use.

   我要拿回屬於我的東西。 [MSC, trad.]
   我要拿回属于我的东西。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ yào ná huí shǔyú wǒ de dōngxi.

   I must take back what belongs to me.

4. to circle; to wind

   alt. forms: 迴／回 (huí)

   • 倬彼雲漢，昭回于天。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     倬彼云汉，昭回于天。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhuō bǐ yúnhàn, zhāo huí yú tiān.

     Bright was that milky way,
     Shining and revolving in the sky.

5. to reply; to respond; to answer

   回信  ―  huíxìn  ―  to write back

   回他個電話／回他个电话  ―  huí tā ge diànhuà  ―  to call him back

   已讀不回／已读不回  ―  yǐdúbùhuí  ―  to read someone's message and not give any response

6. to decline; to refuse
7. to avoid

   alt. forms: 迴／回 (huí)

8. Classifier for chapters.

   《西遊記》全書共一百回。 [MSC, trad.]
   《西游记》全书共一百回。 [MSC, simp.]

   “Xīyóujì” quán shū gòng yībǎi huí.

   Journey to the West has 100 chapters in total.

9. Classifier for number of occurrences of events: times

   • 有幾回，鄰舍孩子聽得笑聲，也趕熱鬧，圍住了孔乙己。 [MSC, trad.]
     有几回，邻舍孩子听得笑声，也赶热闹，围住了孔乙己。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1919, Lu Xun, 孔乙己 (Kung I-chi)

     Yǒu jǐ huí, línshè háizi tīng de xiàoshēng, yě gǎn rènào, wéi zhù le Kǒng Yǐjǐ.

     Sometimes children in the neighbourhood, hearing laughter, came to join in the fun, and surrounded Kung I-chi.

   alt. forms: 迴／回 (huí)

10. (～族) Hui ethnic group
11. (dated in Mainland China) Muslim; anything related to Islam

Synonyms

Compounds

References

• “回”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Definitions

回 (Eastern Min)

1. that
2. then

Synonyms

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 囘)

1. turn

Readings

• Go-on: え (e, Jōyō ^†)^{←ゑ (we, historical)}
• Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)^{←くわい (kwai, historical)}
• Tō-on: うい (ui)
• Kun: まわす (mawasu, 回す, Jōyō)^{←まはす (mafasu, 回す, historical)}; まわる (mawaru, 回る, Jōyō)^{←まはる (mafaru, 回る, historical)}; めぐる (meguru, 回る); めぐらす (megurasu, 回らす)

See also

• 廻 (this is the older spelling of at least some senses or homonyms)

Etymology 1

Counter

回(まわり) • (-mawari) 

1. a turn, times around something

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 回 (MC hwoj).

The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

(as a noun)

• (Tokyo) か​い (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Affix

回(かい) • (kai) ^{←くわい (kwai)?}

1. turn; revolve
2. return; go back
3. time; occasion
4. (dated) Hui; Islam
5. Alternative form of 蛔 (kai, “roundworm; intestinal worm”)

Derived terms

Counter

回(かい) • (-kai) ^{←くわい (kwai)?}

1. occurrences

   一(いっ)週(しゅう)間(かん)に二(に)回(かい)

   isshūkan ni nikai

   twice a week

2. innings in baseball, games, rounds
3. (Kansai) indicating year of university students

   一回生(いっかいせい)

   ikkaisei

   freshmen (in university)

Noun

回(かい) • (kai) ^{←くわい (kwai)?}

1. time, occasion
2. turn, round
3. episode, chapter

   次(じ)回(かい)

   jikai

   next episode

4. (baseball, softball) inning

See also

• 節(せつ) (setsu), 章(しょう) (shō)

Etymology 3

From Middle Chinese 回 (MC hwoj).

The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Affix

回(え) • (e) ^{←ゑ (we)?}

1. turn; turn around

References

Korean

Hanja

回 (eumhun 돌아올 회 (doraol hoe))

1. (suffix) time, occurrence, occasion
2. return to time

Compounds

• 위화도회군 (威化島回軍, wihwadohoegun)

Vietnamese

Han character

回: Hán Nôm readings: hồi

1. to return, to turn around
2. a time or occurrence (especially in the past)
3. a chapter, an act
4. (only in compound) anything related to Islam

Compounds

• 回答 (hồi đáp, “to answer”)
• 復回 (phục hồi, “to return to the original form”)
• 小說章回 (tiểu thuyết chương hồi, “novels that are divided into multiple chapters”)
• 回教 (Hồi giáo, “Islam”)
• 道回 (đạo Hồi, “Islam”)

References