Japanese Conversation · Level 36
90 words
Japanese word
戻る
Pronunciation
Romajimodoru
Meaning
- verbcome back, go back
Example
六時に戻ります。roku ji ni modo ri ma su
I will come back at six.
More examples
遊びが終わったら、家に戻ります。aso bi ga o wa tta ra ie ni modo ri ma su
When play ends, I will go back home.
忘れ物に気づいたので、店に戻りました。wasu re mono ni ki zu i ta no de mise ni modo ri ma shi ta
I noticed that I had forgotten something, so I went back to the store.
Core concept
Expresses a return to an earlier place, position, or condition rather than movement in a newly chosen direction.
Common phrases
仕事に戻るshi goto ni modo ru
return to work
席に戻るseki ni modo ru
return to your seat
家に戻るie ni modo ru
come back home
Similar words
帰るkaeru: To return to the place where one lives or normally belongs.
引き返すhikikaesu: To go back by reversing the direction of travel.
返るkaeru: To become as it was before.
Definition in Japanese
もとの場所や以前の状態に再び移ること。mo to no ba sho ya i zen no jō tai ni futata bi utsu ru ko to
Word origin
The origin of the native verb 戻る (modoru) is not securely established, but Japanese distinguishes 戻る (modoru, "come back") and 戻す (modosu, "put back") as an intransitive and transitive pair.
Usage tips
- In casual conversation, 戻る (modoru) often appears without an explicit subject because the context shows who will come back.