奉还

奉還
fènghuán
verb #34,348

Meanings

  1. 1 to return (something) respectfully
  2. 2 to give back (honorific)
  3. 3 to repay (formally)

Examples

Jiè de shū, míngtiān yídìng rúshù fènghuán.
The book I borrowed - I'll return it in full tomorrow without fail.
Zhè fèn lǐwù tài guìzhòng, wǒ wúfǎ jiēshòu, yuánwù fènghuán.
This gift is too valuable, I can't accept it - I'm returning it as-is.

Tips

register
奉还 is a humble/honorific word - means 'to offer with both hands', so the speaker is symbolically offering something back with deference. Use it in formal letters, polite speech, and historical drama. The plain modern verb is or 归还.
usage
The set phrase 双倍奉还 ('pay back double') was popularized by the 2013 Japanese drama 半泽直树 (Hanzawa Naoki) - its original Japanese line しだ! became a catchphrase across East Asia.

Stroke Order

fèng
hái