返回
fǎnhuí · HSK 5
come back
🔙 返 = return + 回 = circle back; both halves mean 'go back'
返 (fǎn) and 回 (huí) are near-synonyms for 'return', stacked for emphasis. 返 carries the 辶 'walking' radical (motion), while 回 depicts an enclosure spiraling inward — a path looping back to its origin.
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.