归 (guī) is a Chinese character meaning “to return”. It is written from 刂 (knife (side form)) and 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right), side by side, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to return”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
刂 + 彐
Left–right structure
- 刂 knife (side form) · dāo simplified form
- 彐 snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right · jì simplified form
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（⿰刂彐，2+3=5 画，逐笔与 刂/彐 字形对应）
Memory aid
The upright 刂 stands on the left like a door frame, and 彐 on the right is a hand pulling the latch back through it. Both parts really are in this character: you come back — 归.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 回归huí guīto return; to go back归 = guī
- 归来guī láito come back; to return home归 = guī
Go deeper
All readings
to return
to return; to go back to; to give back; to belong to
返回，回到原来的地方；也表示把东西还给别人，或表示属于某人某处。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 回归huí guīto return; to go back归 = guī
- 归来guī láito come back; to return home归 = guī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 归 mean?
归 (guī) means to return; to go back to; to give back; to belong to.
How do you pronounce 归?
It is pronounced guī.
What parts is 归 made of?
刂 (knife (side form)) and 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（⿰刂彐，2+3=5 画，逐笔与 刂/彐 字形对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 归 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 归?
彐. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 归?
Common ones are 回归 and 归来. The reading of 归 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.