Ideographic: Originally, a spiral signifying returnRadical:

meaning for huí:

  • - to circle
  • - to go back
  • - to turn around
  • - to answer
  • - to return
  • - to revolve
  • - Hui ethnic group (Chinese Muslims)
  • - time
  • - classifier for acts of a play
  • - section or chapter (of a classic book)
  • - to curve
  • - to return
  • - to revolveto reply
  • - to answer
  • - the answer
  • - Classifiers: 个 to recall
  • - memories
  • - Classifiers: 个 to turn round
  • - to turn one's head
  • - later
  • - by and byto return to
  • - to come (or go) backto return to
  • - to retreat
  • - regression (statistics)

huí
le
jiā

He returned home.


wǒmen我们
bǐcǐ彼此
jiāohuàn交换
le
liánxì联系
fāngshì方式
jiēzhe接着
jiù
fēnbié分别
huí
le
jiā

We exchanged contact information with each other, and then we went home separately.


kǒngpà恐怕
huí
láile来了

I'm afraid he won't come back.


tàiyang太阳
西
xié
zuìhòu最后
yīliàng一辆
mǎchē马车
shǐ
huí
mǎjiù马厩

As the sun set, the last horse-drawn carriage made its way back to the stable.


shìshíshàng事实上
huòfú霍弗
de
yánjiū研究
xiǎnshì显示
19
%
de
háizi孩子
huì
lùnwén论文
yòng
diànzǐyóujiàn电子邮件
huí
jiālǐ家里
ràng
fùmǔ父母
bǎguān把关

In fact, in Hofer's study, 19 percent of kids were e-mailing papers home for their parents to check.