Onyomi: ヘン · Kunyomi: -かえ.す, -かえ.る, かえ.す, かえ.る · Meanings: answer, fade, repay, return
Kanji for answer, fade, repay, return
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The kanji 返 is made from the person radical 亻 on the left and the character 舌 on the right. 亻 represents a person, while 舌 originally showed a tongue, often linked to speech or action. Together, the image gives the idea of a person taking something and giving it back — literally returning it. Over time, 返 came to mean “return,” “give back,” or “reply,” emphasizing the action of going back or sending something back to its source.
A person (亻) combined with action or tongue (舌) — representing returning something or giving it back.
Imagine a person (亻) bringing something back while speaking (舌) to announce it. That’s 返 — to return or give back.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 遍 | へん | number of times | Counter |
| 返 | へん | reply, answer | Noun |
| 返す | かえす | to return (something), to restore, to put back | common JLPT-N5 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 返事 | へんじ | reply, answer, response | common JLPT-N4 Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 返る | かえる | to return, to come back, to go back | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 返済 | へんさい | repayment, reimbursement, refund, redemption | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 返答 | へんとう | reply, answer | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 返信 | へんしん | reply (e.g. email, fax, letter), answer | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 返上 | へんじょう | return, giving back, giving up, relinquishing, surrendering | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 返却 | へんきゃく | return of something, repayment | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |