Kanji Study

Bushu (Radical) Info:
辷 (しんにゅう, すべ.る, すべ.らす) – road; glide; skate; slip; fail in exams; (kokuji)
込 (-こ.む, こ.む, こ.み, -こ.み, こ.める, こみ, ごめ) – crowded; mixture; in bulk; included; (kokuji)

Henshall Mnemonic: reverse movement and return

Levels: JLPT N3 | JLPT 2 (old) | Grade 3
Frequency: #685 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:

Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.
Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).
Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.

JLPT N5 Words

• 返す   [かえす]
  (v5s,vt) to return something   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N4 Words

• 返事   [へんじ]
  (n,vs) reply; answer   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N3 Words

• 繰り返す   [くりかえす]
  (v5s) to repeat; to do something over again   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N2 Words

• 引き返す   [ひきかえす]
  (v5s) to repeat; to send back; to bring back; to retrace one's steps   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 引っ繰り返る   [ひっくりかえる]
  (v5r) to be overturned; to be upset; to topple over; to be reversed   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 裏返す   [うらがえす]
  (v5s) to turn inside out; to turn the other way; to turn (something) over   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 引返す   [ひきかえす]
  (v5s) to repeat; to send back; to bring back; to retrace one's steps   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N1 Words

• 返る   [かえる]
  (v5r) to return; to come back; to go back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返還   [へんかん]
  (n,vs) return; restoration   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返済   [へんさい]
  (n,vs) repayment   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返答   [へんとう]
  (n) reply   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 折り返す   [おりかえす]
  (v5s) to turn up; to fold back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 振り返る   [ふりかえる]
  (v5r) to turn head; to look over one's shoulder; to turn around; to look back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 裏返し   [うらがえし]
  (n) inside out; upside down   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 宙返り   [ちゅうがえり]
  (n) somersault; looping-the-loop   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT

• 見返す   [みかえす]
  (v5s) to look (stare) back at; to triumph over   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 見返り   [みかえり]
  (n) collateral   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 若返り   [わかがえり]
  (n) rejuvenation; restoration of youth   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 送り返す   [おくりかえす]
  (v5s) to send back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返り咲き   [かえりざき]
  (n) comeback (e.g. in business); second bloom; reflowering; reflorescence   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 言い返す   [いいかえす]
  (v5s) to repeat; to talk back; to answer back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返却   [へんきゃく]
  (n,vs) return of something; repayment   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 生き返る   [いきかえる]
  (v5r) to revive; to come to oneself; to be restored to life   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返上   [へんじょう]
  (n,vs) give up; relinquish; serve up; let loose   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 返信   [へんしん]
  (n,vs) reply   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 生返る   [いきかえる]
  (v5r) to revive; to come to oneself; to be restored to life   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 蒸し返す   [むしかえす]
  (v5s) to reheat; to steam over; to bring up again; to take up again a problem that has been dealt with   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 折り返し   [おりかえし]
  (adv,n) lapel; cuffs; flap; chorus; refrain; repetition   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 繰り返し   [くりかえし]
  (n) repetition; reiteration   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 読み返す   [よみかえす]
  (v5s) to reread; to read again   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 巻き返し   [まきかえし]
  (n) rally; recovery; rollback   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 寝返り   [ねがえり]
  (n) turning over while sleeping in bed; betrayal; double-crossing   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 寝返る   [ねがえる]
  (v5r) to change sides; to double-cross; to betray   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 恩返し   [おんがえし]
  (n) requital of a favour   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 取り返す   [とりかえす]
  (v5s) to regain; to recover; to get back   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• お返し   [おかえし]
  (n) return gift; revenge; change   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Find more details for 返 at jisho.org, Yookoso! or WWWJDIC

Acknowledgments

The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.

NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.

The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.

Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.

The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.

If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.