往返

• Pinyin: wǎng fǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 往 = 彳(step) + 主 (phonetic) — to go; 返 = 辶(movement) + 反 (to turn over, phonetic) — to return

Meaning

To go back and forth; round trip. The action of travelling in both directions between two points.

Used for travel, commuting, and regular back-and-forth journeys. Commonly seen in contexts of commuting (往返通勤), purchasing tickets (往返票), or describing repeated trips. Also used metaphorically for iterative processes in technical or business contexts.

Examples

1. 他每天往返于城市与郊区之间，通勤时间长达三个小时。 He commutes between the city and the suburbs every day, with a total commute of three hours.
2. 这趟差旅往返共需要四天，费用由公司报销。 This business trip requires four days in total for the round trip, with expenses reimbursed by the company.
3. 买往返机票通常比买两张单程票更划算。 Buying a round-trip flight ticket is usually better value than buying two one-way tickets.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, commuting, logistics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请问有没有往返票？(Is there a round-trip ticket available?)
• 他每天往返两地，十分辛苦。(He commutes between two locations every day — it's exhausting.)

Don't Say

• 将往返用于单程旅程，如'往返去北京' — 往返 implies both legs of a journey; for one-way use 单程; don't use 往返 when only one direction is intended

Origin & History

Compound of 往 (to go, toward) and 返 (to return). Together: going and returning — a round trip.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal