返
返 — Return
return, answer, fade, repay
On’yomiヘン (hen)
Kun’yomiかえす (kaesu)
Kun’yomi-かえす (kaesu)
Kun’yomiかえる (kaeru)
Kun’yomi-かえる (kaeru)
Stroke order (7 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 返
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 返還 | へんかん henkan | return; restoration |
| 返済 | へんさい hensai | repayment; reimbursement; refund |
| 繰り返し | くりかえし kurikaeshi | repetition; repeat; reiteration |
| 見返り | みかえり mikaeri | reward; compensation; repayment |
| 返事 | へんじ henji | reply; answer; response |
| 繰り返す | くりかえす kurikaesu | to repeat; to do over again |
Study notes
返 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 7 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #685 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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