retour vs revenir
French word comparison
Listen to retour
Listen to revenir
| retour | revenir |
|---|---|
/ruh-TOOR/ noun | /ruh-vuh-neer/ noun |
| return; the act of going back to a place, or coming back after being away | to come back; to return to a place after having left it |
How they differ
Revenir is a verb, while retour is a noun. Revenir focuses on the action of coming back, whereas retour names the return itself or the fact of being back.
When to use each
When to use retour: Use retour when you want to talk about the return as a thing, event, or process.
When to use revenir: Use revenir when you want to describe someone or something coming back.
Side-by-side examples
- Son retour a été retardé par la neige.
(His return was delayed by the snow.) - Il va revenir demain.
(He is going to come back tomorrow.)
Register & nuance: Revenir is very common in everyday French; retour is also common but is a noun rather than a verb.