帰り・還り|かえりkaeri[3]odaka (tail-high)

1. nounreturn; coming back
   どうして帰かえりがこんなに遅おそくなったの。↗

   Why did you come home so late?

• Synonym戻りもどりNeutralReturning to where you started, or the return leg, as in 「戻りは何時」; it centers on getting back to the starting point, while 「帰り」 usually means going home.
• Synonymお帰りおかえりNeutralA polite form of 「帰り」 and short for 「お帰りなさい」; commonly used between family members and others close to you.
• Related逆戻りぎゃくもどりNeutralGoing back to a previous place or state, as in 「冬に逆戻り」; often carries an unwelcome nuance.
• Related帰還きかんWrittenReturning from far away, as in 「宇宙からの帰還」 or 「無事帰還」; strongly written/formal in tone — in everyday speech say 「帰り」.
• Related引き返しひきかえしNeutralTurning back partway through a journey, heading back the way you came; 「帰り」 is the normal return leg of a trip.
• Antonym行きいきNeutralThe outbound leg, as in 「行きは電車」; the opposite of the return leg 「帰り」.

「帰り」 is the default word for the return leg. Use 「戻り」 for getting back to where you started, 「引き返し」 for turning back partway, 「帰還」 for returning from afar (written/formal), 「逆戻り」 for reverting, and 「行き」 for the outbound trip.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 帰かえること。また、帰かえる時間じかんや帰途きと。