回来huí láito return; to come back
回来 (huí lái) means "to return" or "to come back," as in 妈妈回来了 (Mom has come back), 他什么时候回来 (when will he come back?) and 我晚上回来 (I will come back in the evening). In all three, 回来 means to return or come back. This entry covers this one sense.
What does 回来 mean?
- 1.
to return; to come backverb
What do the characters in 回来 mean?
- 回to go back; to return
- 来to come
How do you use 回来?
See it in 妈妈回来了, 他什么时候回来 and 我晚上回来.
Patterns
回来 + 了
妈妈回来了。
Mā ma huí lái le.
Mom has come back.
什么时候 + 回来
他什么时候回来?
Tā shénme shíhou huí lái?
When will he come back?
What are some examples of 回来 in a sentence?
How is 回来 used in a conversation?
- Speaker A:
爸爸在家吗?
Bàba zài jiā ma?
Is Dad at home?
- Speaker B:
他不在,去学校了。
Tā bú zài, qù xuéxiào le.
He is not here. He went to the school.
- Speaker A:
他什么时候回来?
Tā shénme shíhou huílái?
When will he come back?
- Speaker B:
他晚上回来。
Tā wǎnshang huílái.
He will come back in the evening.
Can you use 回来 correctly?
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- Free HSK 3 level testSee which HSK 3.0 level your vocabulary matches.
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- HSK 3.0 guideHow the nine levels and three bands work.
Related words
- 回huíto go back; to returnHSK 1
- 来láito comeHSK 1
- 去qùto goHSK 1
- 下来xià láito come downHSK 2
- 出来chū láito come out; to appearHSK 2
- 回去huí qùto go backHSK 2
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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.