我回来北京。
(Wǒ huílái Běijīng.)
— I come back Beijing.
You might think this works if you’re translating from English (“I’m coming back to Beijing”), but in Chinese, it sounds unnatural.
✔︎ 我回北京。
(Wǒ huí Běijīng.)
→ I’m going back to Beijing.
or
✔︎ 我回到北京。
(Wǒ huí dào Běijīng.)
→ I’ve returned/arrived in Beijing.
In Chinese grammar:
回来 (huílái) is a directional verb that means “come back towards where the speaker is now.”
It usually doesn’t take a direct object like a place name after it.
If you want to mention a place, use:
回 + [place]
or 回到 (huídào) + [place]
So:
❌ 我回来北京 ❌ (Incorrect and unnatural)
✅ 我回北京 ✅ (Correct and natural)
✅ 我回到北京 ✅ (Correct and natural)
1. 我回上海。
(Wǒ huí Shànghǎi.)
→ I’m going back to Shanghai.
2. 我回到家了。
(Wǒ huí dào jiā le.)
→ I have arrived home.
3. 她回美国工作。
(Tā huí Měiguó gōngzuò.)
→ She returned to the U.S. to work
Think of 回来 as describing movement toward the speaker’s current spot. It’s about direction, not naming the destination.
If you want to mention the destination explicitly, use 回 or 回到 instead.
Which one is correct?
A. 他回来上海。
(Tā huílái Shànghǎi.)
B. 他回上海。
(Tā huí Shànghǎi.)
✅ Correct Answer: B
In Chinese, 回来 is about direction toward the speaker and is not normally followed by a place name.
If you want to name the place, say 回 + [place] or 回到 + [place] instead.
So next time, don’t say “我回来北京” — say “我回北京” or “我回到北京” like a native.
📘 Want to avoid more Chinese mistakes?
👉 Check out the full blog series: Oops! Chinese Mistakes.
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