回国
huíguó · HSK 2
return to one's country
✈️🏠 回 = return + 国 = country
回国 stacks 回 (return, the swirl shape echoes turning back) with 国 (country, a jade 玉 enclosed by borders 囗). Together: return-country, i.e. go back to one's homeland.
回 — enclosure 囗 + smaller 囗 inside
回 is a pictograph of a swirling whirlpool or coiled spiral, shown as nested squares in modern form. The original meaning was 'to revolve' or 'turn around,' which extended to 'return' and 'a time/occurrence.' It also appears as a phonetic in characters like 茴 and 廻.
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.