折返

zhéfǎn

verb #29,349

Meanings

1 to turn back
2 to double back
3 to retrace one's steps

Characters

to fold; to turn; to bend back

to return; to go back

Examples

由于道路封闭，我们不得不折返。

Yóuyú dàolù fēngbì, wǒmen bùdébù zhéfǎn.

Due to the road closure, we had no choice but to turn back.

飞机因故障折返原机场。

Fēijī yīn gùzhàng zhéfǎn yuán jīchǎng.

The plane turned back to the original airport due to a malfunction.

Tips

usage

折返 is common in sports and navigation contexts. In a 折返跑 (shuttle run), athletes run to a point and run back. Compare with 返回 (to return), which is more general and doesn't specifically imply reversing direction.

Stroke Order

折 zhé

返 fǎn