How to Write 返 (fǎn) — Meaning “to return; to go back”

Imagine you are walking (辶) in the reverse (反) direction. If you think of turning around on a path, the character 返 visually shows that movement of going back.

Write the component 反 first, with four strokes: the top stroke is a short left-falling one, then a horizontal, then a hook, and finally a left-falling stroke. Add the 辶 radical last, making sure its bottom stroke (the sweeping curve) extends nicely under the left side of 反 to keep the character balanced.

巡 (xún, to patrol) has 巛 (a river or three dots) inside its radical instead of 反, and it means moving around an area. 边 (biān, side) has 力 (strength) inside its 辶 radical and means edge or border. Unlike 返, neither simply means 'going back'.

返 is used in formal or written contexts, such as 返回 (return to a place), 往返 (round trip), and 返校 (return to school). It often appears on signs, schedules, or announcements, and it carries a neutral, factual tone—for example, when describing travel or commuting.

Common words containing 返 include: 返回 (fǎn huí) — to return; to go back; 往返 (wǎng fǎn) — round trip; to go back and forth; 返校 (fǎn xiào) — to return to school.