How to Write 归 (guī) — Meaning “To return; to belong to”

Imagine a pig (彐) running back home with a broom (the right side resembles 帚, a broom) — the pig wants to return and sweep the house clean. Or think: "gui" sounds like "go we" — we go back home.

归 has 5 strokes: start with the horizontal fold of 彐, then the three horizontal strokes (second short, third long), then a vertical stroke, then a final horizontal stroke on the bottom right. Common mistake: writing the right part too wide or forgetting that the last stroke is a horizontal line, not a dot.

归 has the radical 彐 on the left with a 巾-like right side, while 寻 has 彐 on top and 寸 below, meaning "to search" — 寻 is taller and has a bottom component. 彐 alone is just the radical, never used as a standalone character in modern Chinese, while 归 is a common verb meaning to return.

归 is used in formal and everyday contexts like 回归 (return to a place, or statistical regression) and 归还 (return borrowed items). Culturally, 归 often appears in idioms like 归心似箭 (heart flying home like an arrow) expressing eagerness to return home, reflecting the Chinese value of family reunion.

Common words containing 归 include: 回归 (huí guī) — To return; regression.; 归还 (guī huán) — To return (something borrowed); 归纳 (guī nà) — To summarize; to induce.