帰る vs 戻る

Japanese word comparison

How they differ

戻る emphasizes returning to a previous location or state and is not limited to 'home'; it can be used for returning to a place, a page, or a previous point in time, whereas 帰る usually specifically implies going home or returning to one's origin.

When to use each

When to use 帰る: Prefer 帰る when you mean 'go home' or 'return to where you belong' in everyday speech.

When to use 戻る: Use 戻る when you want to say someone or something goes back to a previous location, position, or condition (not necessarily home).

Side-by-side examples

1. もう遅いから帰るよ。
   (It's already late, so I'm going home.)
2. 彼はオフィスに戻った。
   (He returned to the office.)

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More 帰る comparisons

• 帰る vs 帰宅する
• 帰る vs 帰省する