# 回来 / 回到



## Thime

大家好!
I can't find the difference betwwen 回来 and 回到.
For example, if I wated to say:
_She came back from Milan yesterday evening._
1- 昨天晚上她从米兰回来了. 
2- 昨天晚上她从米兰回到了.

Why the second one isn't correct?

非常感谢!


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## learntheworld

I personally see it this way:
回来 is an intransitive verb；回到 is transitive. Therefore, an object  is needed after 回到. For example, you could say "昨天晚上她从米兰回到了她在罗马的家。" (She came back from Milan to her home in Rome yesterday evening.)
You could directly translate 回到 as "return to", "come back to", "go back to", etc.
It doesn't make sense if one says "She came back to from Milan yesterday evening." or "She returned to from Milan yesterday evening."


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## Thime

Thank you, learntheworld!
I suppose I can also say: 昨天晚上她回到米兰了. That's correct? The verb 回到 doesn't need the preposition 从.


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## learntheworld

Thime said:


> I suppose I can also say: 昨天晚上她回到米兰了.


Yes, but that sentence would mean "She came back to Milan yesterday evening." rather than "She came back from Milan yesterday evening."


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## Ditundat

昨天晚上她从米兰回来了， she came back from Milan last night.
昨天晚上她回到了米兰， she came back Milan last night.

It is all about Location. 
回来， sb. comes back somewhere ( from Somewhere)
for Example, 我回来了  I am back. 她从学校回来了 she is back from school.

回到 sb. comes back to somewhere ( from somewhere)
for example,
我回到了米兰 I am back to Milan.
她从罗马回到了米兰 she has come back to Milan from Rome.


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## brofeelgood

Q: 你回到米兰了没有?

A1: 我回到米兰了
A2: 我回到了
A3: 我到了
A4: 到了
A5: 回到了

As a casual response, which of the above would you guys find acceptable?

Edit: added A5


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## Ditundat

I would choose A5. 

A1, better choosing for another occasion. it is acceptable for this question, but sounds odd. It sounds more like the school language study. Better choosing for another occasion. 
Did you go to the cinema yesterday?昨天你去看电影了吗？
Yes, I went to the cinema yesterday.是的，我昨天去看电影了。

Occasionally, when be asking 
你到了哪里？／你去了哪里？／你在哪里？
我回到米兰了。

A2, is also acceptable. When we take out the 我, it would be perfect as A5. A2is odd, like the school language study.

A3 and A4 are the answer for the different questions. 
你到了没有？
我到了。

or 短信，邮件写，
我到了，请来接我。etc

你到没？（maybe little angry?)
到了。(a little hash)


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## Thime

If I wanted to say "_I've come back_" - How about " 我回到来了"　?　I'm not sure it is a correct expression.


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## Ditundat

Have you come back?你回来了吗？
yes, I've come back.我已经回来了。


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## learntheworld

brofeelgood said:


> Q: 你回到米兰了没有?
> 
> A1: 我回到米兰了
> A2: 我回到了
> A3: 我到了
> A4: 到了
> A5: 回到了
> 
> As a casual response, which of the above would you guys find acceptable?
> 
> Edit: added A5


I'd say A1 ("我回到米兰了"), A3 ("我到了"), or A4 ("到了"), depending on the context or the tone to be conveyed. Personally, I tend to use A3 ("我到了") the most. As to "我回到了" and "回到了", they both sound unnatural to me. However, I'd also like to hear different ideas.



Thime said:


> If I wanted to say "_I've come back_" - How about " 我回到来了"　?


No, "回到来" is incorrect in Chinese. You could say "我回来了" when you mean "I've come back."


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## Thime

Thank you all!
I have a latest question: can I replace  回到 with 回来到, maitaining the same meaning?
For example: 他回到了罗马. = 他回来到罗马.


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## brofeelgood

Thime said:


> Thank you all!
> I have a latest question: can I replace  回到 with 回来到, maitaining the same meaning?
> For example: 他回到了罗马. = 他回来到罗马.



Absolutely not. The only case these three words can be strung together in a sequence is when 到 is separated from 回来 and used for another purpose.

Example: 他从罗马回来,到现在都还没吃过东西. (used as a preposition: He hasn't (*until* now) had a bite since he returned from Rome)
Example: 他从罗马回来,到家的时候已经是七点了. (a follow-up action: Returning from Rome, it was already 7 o'clock by the time he *reached* home)


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## learntheworld

Hi everyone. 
Here I have some questions. Do you consider 回来 as a transitive verb or an intransitive verb? Would you consider "他回来学校了。" (He has come back to the school.) a correct sentence or not? Then how about "你什么时候回来学校，我就什么时候告诉你这件事。" (I'll tell you about it immediately whenever you come back to the school.) ? Thanks in advance for your ideas and help.


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## asaisaio

回来 is an intransitive verb, while 回到 is a transitive verb which must be followed by an object.


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## Thime

learntheworld said:


> Would you consider "他回来学校了。" (He has come back to the school.) a correct sentence or not?


From what I've understood, I wouldn't consider this sentece correct. But I am not a native speaker...



learntheworld said:


> Then how about "你什么时候回来学校，我就什么时候告诉你这件事。" (I'll tell you about it immediately whenever you come back to the school.) ?


Good question!


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## gary17

It seems to me that  previous responses said 回來 is an intransitive verb...
But 回來can be both transitive and intransitive.

回來means coming towards the speaker, so the position of the speaker is implied in the sentence.
她回來台灣了 (The speaker is in Taiwan.)
她回來學校了 (The speaker is at school.)

When you use回到, it usually means heading away from the speaker. (It's the same as 回去, but 回去is more colloquial.) 
回到is also used in a formal way, and the position of the speaker no longer matters.

她回到(去)台灣了 (The speaker is not in Taiwan.)
我回到自己的家(A more formal sentence, often seen in essays..etc)


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## kun2kun

It is unusual to say 回来到，but it is quite common to say “回到place来”，though the word 来 can be omitted.
我回到家来了 I have come back home；
我回到北京来了 I have come back to Beijing.


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## gary17

I don't think that is a common usage...have heard it before though.
Best to keep it clear and concise.


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## Amu

Usually you use 回到 (+to some place) when you are not in that place. 
If you say: 他回到了罗马了, you are not in 罗马
But if you say 他回来罗马了, you are in 罗马


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## wggglggg

Thime said:


> 大家好!
> I can't find the difference betwwen 回来 and 回到.
> For example, if I wated to say:
> _She came back from Milan yesterday evening._
> 1- 昨天晚上她从米兰回来了.
> 2- 昨天晚上她从米兰回到了.
> 
> Why the second one isn't correct?
> 
> 非常感谢!



_She came back from Milan yesterday evening.
_1- 昨天晚上她从米兰回来了
2- 昨天晚上她从米兰回到了。。。 家里

第2句表达不完整。回到了。。后面还需要说明回到了 ”什么地方。”
For example
1-昨天晚上她从米兰回到了她的家里。
2-昨天晚上她从米兰回到了她妈妈家里。
3-昨天晚上她从米兰回到了英国。


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## retrogradedwithwind

回 means (come) back. It is a direction.
You should learn how to distinguish 来 and 到.

Given my instinct, I think 来 is a process:我在来（某某地）的路上呢 whereas 到 is the end(result) of 来（去）： ——你来（去）了吗？ ——我都到了。
Usually when you refer to 来 you mean that I have Already Started my journey/ trip. It is related more to the beginning of a trip.

Tracing back to your orginal post:
从某某地(回)来 is right.
从某某地(回)到 is of course wrong.
The key is 从, which collocates with the place of departure.
(回）到某某地了: where you get is the destination.

来到 means 到.


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## Skatinginbc

learntheworld said:


> Would you consider "他回来学校了。" (He has come back to the school.) a correct sentence or not?


I think it is correct.    
你回来台湾做什么?  亲戚朋友都把你忘了 ==> The speaker is in Taiwan.
你回台湾做什么?  亲戚朋友都把你忘了 ==> The speaker is in a foreign country together with the listener.
他回来学校了 ==> The speaker is affiliated with or physically present at that school.  
他回学校了 ==> The speaker is not affiliated with or not physically present at that school.

你回学校做什么?  你来学校做什么?  你回来学校做什么?  回 transitive + 来 transitive ==> 回来 can be transitive. 
你回学校做什么?  你到学校做什么?  你回到学校做什么?  回 transitive + 到 transitive ==> 回到 can be transitive.


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## brofeelgood

As a general rule of thumb, stick to the following:

*1. 回来 - come back to (intransitive)*
他下个月回来. He's coming back next month.
你回来学校就知道了. You will know it when you come back to school.

*2. 回到了- return to (intransitive)
*他回到了案发现场 - He returned to the crime scene.
*
3. 回到(某地方)了 - reach (transitive) with the understanding that the person was returning from elsewhere
*我回到家了 - I've reached home.
他回到罗马了 - He has (been assumed to return from somewhere and) reached Rome.

*4. 回 - depart to return to (without indication of arriving)*
他回台湾了 - He has departed for Taiwan.

I wouldn't bother too much about the location of the speaker or the target audience in relation to the subject. There are too many exceptions out there to have an exhaustive set of rules that will cover every scenario.


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## learntheworld

Thanks a lot for all your opinions!
"他回来学校了。" would still sound unnatural to me somehow. Thus, I think 回来 is intransitive. But maybe I was wrong in saying that 回来 is intransitive since more of you considered "他回来学校了。" to be right.


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