回复
huí fù · HSK 4
to reply
↩️ 回 = return/circle + 复 = repeat/again; a reply sends words back
回 shows a square within a square — a return to center. 复 carries the sense of doing again or restoring. Together: sending something back, whether a reply to email or recovering a former state.
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.