戻す

もどす · modosu · JLPT N3 · verb-godan

to return

🚪🐕 戻 = door 戸 + dog 犬 (old form): the dog comes back in the door

The old form of 戻 had 犬 (dog) under 戸 (door); modern script shrank it to 大. A dog slipping back through the door is the kanji's sense of return. 戻す is the transitive form: you put something back. 戻る means to come back yourself.

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