v.
to go back; to return
回去
to go back; to return
Directional verb meaning 'to go back' (回 return + 去 go away from speaker); indicates returning to a distant location.
Common Usage & Traps
- 回去看看 — go back and take a look
- 早点回去 — go back early
- 回去睡觉 — go back to sleep
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回去家回家 / 回家去Chinese puts 家 after 回, not after 回去. The standard phrase is 回家.
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回去学校回学校 / 回学校去A place word goes after 回, not after 回去. 'Go back to school' is 回学校 or 回学校去.
When should I use 回去 instead of 回来?
回去 means going back away from the speaker; 回来 means coming back toward the speaker.
Use 回去 when the person is moving away from where you are now. Use 回来 when the person is moving toward where you are now. If your friend leaves your office to go home, that's 他回去了. If your friend arrives at your home, that's 他回来了. The speaker's location is the anchor.
“下雨了，大家都没有回去。” (It started to rain, but everyone stayed.)
“下雨了，大家都没有回去。” (It started to rain, but everyone stayed.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Away from speaker | 他回去了 | 他回来了 (when leaving you) |
| Toward speaker | 他回来了 | 他回去了 (when coming to you) |
| At work, coworker leaves | 他回去了 | 他回来了 |
Can I say 回去学校 to mean 'go back to school'?
No: standard Chinese says 回学校 or 回学校去, never 回去学校.
No. In standard Mandarin, 回去 does not take a place word right after it. Put the place after 回, then add 去 at the end if you want. So 'go back to school' is 回学校 or 回学校去. 'Go back home' is 回家, not 回去家.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Going back to school | 回学校 / 回学校去 | 回去学校 |
| Going back home | 回家 / 回家去 | 回去家 |
| Place after 回去 | 回去 (no place word) | 回去 + place |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
- Scene #1
下雨了，大家都没有 回去 。
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