Return in Different Languages
Discover 'Return' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'return' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the action of going back to a place or situation, or the yield of an investment. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, music, and film, where the concept of a 'return' often symbolizes a journey, a homecoming, or a resolution.
Delving into the word's translations in different languages unveils a rich tapestry of cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'return' is 'retorno', which also means a turn or a bend. In German, 'Rückkehr' captures the sense of moving backward or again. In Japanese, '返事' (henji) translates to 'return' in the context of a reply, while '帰国' (kikoku) means 'return' to one's home country.
Understanding the translations of 'return' in various languages can enrich our global dialogue and foster cross-cultural communication. Join us as we explore this versatile word in more languages and contexts.
Return
Return in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | terugkeer | ||
| The word "terugkeer" can also mean "reversion" or "recidivism" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | መመለስ | ||
| The Amharic word "መመለስ" can also mean "to translate" or "to return to life." | |||
| Hausa | dawo | ||
| The word 'dawo' in Hausa can also mean 'come back' or 'reappear'. | |||
| Igbo | laghachi | ||
| The term 'laghachi' can mean "return" in the context of a physical return to a place, the repetition of an action, or the occurrence of a situation again. | |||
| Malagasy | miverena | ||
| The word "miverina" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*balik", which also means "return" in many other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwererani | ||
| In some cases, "bwererani" can also mean "regain" or "restore". | |||
| Shona | dzoka | ||
| The word "dzoka" can also mean "to respond" or "to answer" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | soo noqosho | ||
| Soo noqosho can also mean 'reiteration' or 'recurrence' in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | khutla | ||
| The word "khutla" in Sesotho also means "to face" or "to turn around". | |||
| Swahili | kurudi | ||
| "Kurudi" in Swahili not only means "to return" but can also mean "to revert", "to go back to", or "to come again". | |||
| Xhosa | buyela | ||
| The word "buyela" can also refer to a reversal, a reincarnation, or a repetition. | |||
| Yoruba | pada | ||
| In Yoruba, 'pada' can also mean 'to withdraw' or 'to retreat'. | |||
| Zulu | buyela | ||
| The word "buyela" ("return" in Zulu) also carries the connotation of "reconnecting with something familiar or cherished" | |||
| Bambara | segin | ||
| Ewe | trᴐ gbᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | garuka | ||
| Lingala | kozonga | ||
| Luganda | okukomawo | ||
| Sepedi | boa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | san | ||
Return in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إرجاع | ||
| The word "إرجاع" in Arabic can also refer to the process of sending something somewhere, or the act of putting something back in its place. | |||
| Hebrew | לַחֲזוֹר | ||
| The Hebrew word לחזור, which means "to return," has been linked to various etymological roots including Sumerian, Akkadian, and Old Aramaic. | |||
| Pashto | بیرته ستنیدل | ||
| Arabic | إرجاع | ||
| The word "إرجاع" in Arabic can also refer to the process of sending something somewhere, or the act of putting something back in its place. | |||
Return in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kthimi | ||
| The Albanian word "kthimi" derives from Proto-Albanian '*kʼedʰ-ti-mi-, meaning going back. | |||
| Basque | itzuli | ||
| Itzuli has another meaning of 'to translate' in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | tornar | ||
| Catalan's "tornar" comes from Old Catalan "tornar", itself from Latin "tornare" (to turn) | |||
| Croatian | povratak | ||
| The word "povratak" can also mean "refrain" or "chorus" in a musical context. | |||
| Danish | vend tilbage | ||
| Though **vend tilbage** literally translates to 'turn back', it's also used figuratively to mean 'return' to a previous point in time or context. | |||
| Dutch | terugkeer | ||
| Terugkeer is in the same root-word family as keren (to turn, to go back) and keur (to judge and to select). | |||
| English | return | ||
| The word "return" derives from Old French retourner, via Latin retornare, meaning "to go or come back". | |||
| French | revenir | ||
| The French verb "revenir" can also mean "to come to" or "to haunt." | |||
| Frisian | weromkomme | ||
| The Frisian word "weromkomme" also means "to take back" or "to get back". | |||
| Galician | regreso | ||
| The Galician word "regreso" can also refer to a period of time, usually a period of rest or leave from work. | |||
| German | rückkehr | ||
| In addition to "return," "Rückkehr" can also mean "reversion" or "recurrence." | |||
| Icelandic | snúa aftur | ||
| In Old English, the verb 'snuwan,' from which Icelandic 'snúa' derives, meant 'to return' or 'to hurry' and was related to the Greek verb 'kneō' (to scratch, scrape, rub) | |||
| Irish | filleadh | ||
| The Irish word "filleadh" can also mean "to twist" or "to bend". | |||
| Italian | ritorno | ||
| The word "ritorno" can also mean "chorus" in a musical context. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zréck | ||
| The word "zréck" is derived from the Old High German word "zurücke" meaning back or return. | |||
| Maltese | ritorn | ||
| The word "ritorn" in Maltese comes from the Italian word "ritorno" which means "return" and can also refer to the repetition of a musical phrase or section. | |||
| Norwegian | komme tilbake | ||
| Komme tilbake is a compound word consisting of the verb | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | retorna | ||
| Retorna is derived from Latin "retornare", meaning "to turn back" or "to return". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tilleadh | ||
| The word "tilleadh" is derived from the Old Irish word "till" meaning "to go back" or "to return". | |||
| Spanish | regreso | ||
| "Regreso" also means "afterbirth" in 16th-century Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | lämna tillbaka | ||
| "Lämna tillbaka" literally means "to leave back" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | dychwelyd | ||
| In Welsh mythology, 'dychwelyd' can also refer to the cyclic nature of life and rebirth. | |||
Return in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вяртанне | ||
| The word "вяртанне" is derived from the Slavic root *vert-, meaning "to turn" or "to go back". | |||
| Bosnian | povratak | ||
| "Povratak" originates from the Sanskrit word "pravrtati," meaning "to turn back, to return". | |||
| Bulgarian | връщане | ||
| The Bulgarian word "връщане" can also refer to the act of sending something back or giving it back to someone. | |||
| Czech | vrátit se | ||
| The Czech word "vrátit se" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *vortiti sę, meaning "to turn or twist". It has also a secondary meaning of "to go back to a place or state". | |||
| Estonian | tagasi | ||
| The word "tagasi" in Estonian also has the meaning of "back" or "again". | |||
| Finnish | palata | ||
| The word 'palata' can also refer to a refund, compensation, or restoration. | |||
| Hungarian | visszatérés | ||
| "Visszatérés" is also a word for "comeback" and "recurrence" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | atgriešanās | ||
| "Atgriešanās" also means "return ticket" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | grįžti | ||
| The word "grįžti" is derived from West Baltic *grĩž-, which is associated with grinding or breaking apart. | |||
| Macedonian | враќање | ||
| Враќање (vraḱańe) derives from the Slavic root *vert- (*vъrt-), meaning "to turn". | |||
| Polish | powrót | ||
| Powrót may also refer to a Polish dance, or to a return journey. | |||
| Romanian | întoarcere | ||
| The word "întoarcere" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ent́h-," which also gives us the English words "answer" and "end." | |||
| Russian | возвращение | ||
| The word "возвращение" has Old Church Slavonic roots and is related to the noun "возврат" (return), which is used to describe the movement of something back to its original state or place. | |||
| Serbian | повратак | ||
| The Serbian word 'повратак' also shares its root with the word 'вратак' ('neck'), suggesting a return to a point of origin. | |||
| Slovak | návrat | ||
| "Návrat" can also refer to a return of something, such as a book or a loan. | |||
| Slovenian | vrnitev | ||
| The word "vrnitev" is Slavic in origin and is related to words for "whirl" in other languages, such as "vir" in Latin and "wirren" in German. | |||
| Ukrainian | повернення | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "return," "повернення" can also mean "restitution," "refund," or "restoration." | |||
Return in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রত্যাবর্তন | ||
| The Bengali word "প্রত্যাবর্তন" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रत्यावर्तन" (pratyavartana), which also means "return", but in the context of a cyclic process or a repeated action. | |||
| Gujarati | પાછા | ||
| The word "પાછા" has several meanings, including "in return" and "again". | |||
| Hindi | वापसी | ||
| वापसी is a Sanskrit word primarily meaning 'to go back' but it also means 'return, arrival, coming back, restoration, recovery, revival, renewal, resumption, re-entrance, re-appearance, re-admission, re-instatement, re-establishment, re-entry, re-commencement, getting or bringing back, or bringing home or causing to come or go back. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿಂತಿರುಗಿ | ||
| The word "ಹಿಂತಿರುಗಿ" can also mean "to turn back against" or "to retaliate." | |||
| Malayalam | മടങ്ങുക | ||
| The word "മടങ്ങുക" (return) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *mar-, meaning "to turn" or "to go back". | |||
| Marathi | परत | ||
| In Marathi, "परत" can also mean "once more" or "in addition to". | |||
| Nepali | फर्किनु | ||
| The word 'फर्किनु' is derived from the Sanskrit root '√vr̥t', meaning 'to turn' or 'to go back'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਾਪਸੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਵਾਪਸੀ" (vāpasī) can also mean "arrival", "coming", or "entrance" depending on context. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආපසු | ||
| The Sinhala word "ආපසු" originally referred to the "act of returning" and was later used to mean "back" in terms of location. | |||
| Tamil | திரும்ப | ||
| திரும்ப also means "to repeat" "to translate" "to change" "to turn" "to change sides" "to reflect on" "to retort" "to reply" and "to reciprocate". | |||
| Telugu | తిరిగి | ||
| Urdu | واپسی | ||
| The Urdu word "واپسی" not only means "return" but also "regret". | |||
Return in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 返回 | ||
| 返回, also pronounced as fǎnguì, refers to returning to a state of being rather than a place. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 返回 | ||
| "返回" literally means "return to the back" (返=turn back, 回=back). It also means "response" or "reply". | |||
| Japanese | 戻る | ||
| 戻る, meaning "return," was originally a word meaning "to withdraw" or "to pull out". | |||
| Korean | 반환 | ||
| The Korean word "반환" can also mean "refundable", "reimbursement", or "redemption". | |||
| Mongolian | буцах | ||
| The word "буцах" can also mean "to go back" or "to come back". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြန်လာ | ||
| The term "ပြန်လာ" has a dual meaning in Myanmar, as it also signifies "to turn around". | |||
Return in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kembali | ||
| The Indonesian word "kembali" also means "previously" and originally meant "to go backward" or "to reverse direction." | |||
| Javanese | bali | ||
| In Javanese, the word 'bali' can also mean to return home or to come back to one's village. | |||
| Khmer | ត្រឡប់មកវិញ | ||
| The word ត្រឡប់មកវិញ is also used in a figurative sense, to describe something that reverts back to its previous state or condition. | |||
| Lao | ກັບຄືນ | ||
| Malay | kembali | ||
| The word "kembali" is related to "bali" which may have meant "to come, go, return," or even "to be". It could have come from a Proto-Austronesian base *bali "to go". | |||
| Thai | กลับ | ||
| The word "กลับ" also means "upside down" or "inverted" in Thai, reflecting its physical meaning of returning something to its original position. | |||
| Vietnamese | trở về | ||
| In Sino-Vietnamese, "trở về" means "to turn into", referring to a change in state, while in native Vietnamese it means "to go back". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumalik | ||
Return in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qayıt | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "qayıt" is a noun meaning "return," derived from the Turkic root word "kayıt," which means "to write down or record." | |||
| Kazakh | қайту | ||
| The Kazakh word "қайту" can also mean "to come back to one's senses" or "to recover from an illness or injury." | |||
| Kyrgyz | кайтуу | ||
| The word "кайтуу" in Kyrgyz may also refer to the action of "turning back" or "coming back". | |||
| Tajik | баргаштан | ||
| The word “баргаштан” can also mean “to turn back” or “to move away” in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gaýdyp gel | ||
| Uzbek | qaytish | ||
| The word "qaytish" also has the meaning of "reply" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قايتىش | ||
Return in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻihoʻi | ||
| The Hawaiian word "hoʻihoʻi" also means "to invite" or "to entice." | |||
| Maori | hokinga mai | ||
| The Maori word “hokinga mai” means "to return," but can also be used to describe the process of coming back to something, either physically or figuratively. | |||
| Samoan | toe foʻi | ||
| Toe foʻi's alternate meaning in Samoan is "again". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bumalik ka | ||
| The Tagalog word "bumalik ka" can also be used to express the idea of "going back to one's senses" or "regaining consciousness" | |||
Return in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kutiyaña | ||
| Guarani | jujey | ||
Return in International Languages
| Esperanto | reveni | ||
| Esperanto's "reveni" is derived from Spanish "revenir" via Interlingua, and also means "to recover" or "to come to consciousness". | |||
| Latin | reditus | ||
| Reditus can also refer to income, revenue or rent derived from property. | |||
Return in Others Languages
| Greek | επιστροφη | ||
| }ΕΠΙΣΤΡΟΦΗ in Greek also means "reversion" and "reversal"} | |||
| Hmong | rov los | ||
| The Hmong word "rov los" has several meanings, including "return back", "bring back", and "go home". | |||
| Kurdish | vegerr | ||
| The word "végerr" can also mean "to come back to life" or "to be resurrected" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | dönüş | ||
| The word "dönüş" in Turkish can also mean "rotation" or "turn". | |||
| Xhosa | buyela | ||
| The word "buyela" can also refer to a reversal, a reincarnation, or a repetition. | |||
| Yiddish | צוריקקומען | ||
| Although צוריקקומען means "return" in Yiddish, it can also mean "repay" or "recover". | |||
| Zulu | buyela | ||
| The word "buyela" ("return" in Zulu) also carries the connotation of "reconnecting with something familiar or cherished" | |||
| Assamese | উভতাই দিয়া | ||
| Aymara | kutiyaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | लउटल | ||
| Dhivehi | ރުޖޫޢަވުން | ||
| Dogri | बापस | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumalik | ||
| Guarani | jujey | ||
| Ilocano | isubli | ||
| Krio | go bak | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەڕانەوە | ||
| Maithili | वापस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯜꯂꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | kirlet | ||
| Oromo | deebisuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫେରନ୍ତୁ | ||
| Quechua | kutichiy | ||
| Sanskrit | निर्वतनम् | ||
| Tatar | кайту | ||
| Tigrinya | ተመለስ | ||
| Tsonga | tlhelela | ||