往復

• Reading: おうふく
• Romaji: oufuku
• Kanji breakdown: 往 (ou/i) — go, depart; 復 (fuku/mata) — return, restore, repeat
• Pronunciation: /oː.ɸɯ.kɯ/

Meaning

Round trip; going and returning. Travelling to a destination and back.

Functions as a noun or する verb (往復する). Very common at ticket counters in the compound 往復切符 (round-trip ticket). Also used for daily commuting patterns (往復通勤) and any back-and-forth movement, including letter exchanges (往復書簡).

Examples

1. 東京から大阪まで往復で二万円かかった。 A round trip from Tokyo to Osaka cost twenty thousand yen.
2. 往復切符を買った方が安いですよ。 It's cheaper to buy a round-trip ticket.
3. 毎日二時間の往復通勤をしています。 I commute two hours round trip every day.

Usage Guide

Context: train stations, airports, commuting

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 往 (go, depart) and 復 (return, restore). Together they describe the complete cycle of going and coming back.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal