English–French

“go back” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁətuʁne/

Example

Je vais retourner à la maison.

I am going back home.

Illustration for retourner (go back)

How to say “go back” in French

“Go back” in French is retourner.

A person or object turns back to its earlier place or orientation.

Full entry for retourner: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with retourner

Après le voyage, il a décidé de retourner dans son pays.

After the trip, he decided to return to his country.

Tips for using retourner

  • In the passé composé, intransitive retourner commonly uses être, while transitive retourner uses avoir.

“go back” in other languages