Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
恢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
恢huīto restorezg, 9 strokes, radical 忄, rank #65429, Very Hard
恢huīto recoverzg, 9 strokes, radical 忄, rank #65429, Very Hard
恢huīgreatzg, 9 strokes, radical 忄, rank #65429, Very Hard
恢huīto restore, to recover; great, immense, vastzg, 9 strokes, radical 忄, rank #65429, Very Hard
huī(hui1)hui T1
  1. 1to restore
  2. 2to recover
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

恢huī(hui1)

The character 恢 (huī) primarily means 'to restore' or 'to recover.' It is often used in contexts relating to the return to a previous state, such as recovering health or restoring a system. This character can also imply greatness, as in vastness or immensity.

Strokes9Radical忄Frequency#65429DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of recovery is crucial, and terms like 恢 are often used when discussing the restoration of health. This reflects the cultural emphasis on balance and recovery in health practices.

Memory tip

Imagine a vast wave (恢) crashing down and then receding, symbolizing the process of restoring or recovering something to its original state. The character combines the radical for 'heart' (心) which is suggestive of deep feelings involved in the act of recovery, and the element that resembles 'returning' to a previous state.

Meanings of 恢

huī(hui1)
1to restore
2to recover
Exercise 1 of 3

By ear

Play it, then pick what 恢 means.

About 恢

恢Simplified
9Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#65429Frequency Rank

Podcast: 恢

JasonAmy

Podcast: 恢

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 恢

Quick Contrast

恢复 (huīfù) vs 复原 (fùyuán) — use 恢 (huī) when emphasizing the act of restoration, while 恢复 (huīfù) typically refers to the process of recovery, and 复原 (fùyuán) often implies returning to an original state or form.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 恢 with similar characters like 回 (huí), which means 'to return' but does not carry the connotation of recovery or restoration. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, with common collocations like 恢复 (huīfù, to restore) and 恢弘 (huīhóng, to expand greatly). Pay attention to the fourth tone in pronunciation, as mispronouncing can change its meaning.

HSK Study Tips

While 恢 is not included in the HSK levels, it can be linked to words such as 恢复 (huīfù) which is relevant for students at HSK 4. Focus on the usage of 恢 in compound words to understand its broader meanings in different contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 恢 in place of 回 when they mean 'to return,' leading to incorrect phrases like 恢家 (incorrect) instead of 回家 (huíjiā, to return home). Additionally, some may mispronounce it as huí instead of huī, which alters its meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 恢

Premium — Locked

Tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 恢, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsPitch drawing+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 恢 to you

Let me explain 恢 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 恢 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

How well do you know 恢?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 恢 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 恢

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 灰 represents the sound.

Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)灰
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

恢 = 忄 + 灰. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 恢

IDS Structure⿰忄灰
恢Full character
=
忄xin1
left
灰hui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 恢?

How to say to restore in Chinese

“to restore” in Chinese is恢huī

The character 恢 (huī) primarily means 'to restore' or 'to recover.' It is often used in contexts relating to the return to a previous state, such as recovering health or restoring a system. This character can also imply greatness, as in vastness or immensity.

When to use 恢

Learners often confuse 恢 with similar characters like 回 (huí), which means 'to return' but does not carry the connotation of recovery or restoration. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, with common collocations like 恢复 (huīfù, to restore) and 恢弘 (huīhóng, to expand greatly). Pay attention to the fourth tone in pronunciation, as mispronouncing can change its meaning.

恢 or something close to it

恢复 (huīfù) vs 复原 (fùyuán) — use 恢 (huī) when emphasizing the act of restoration, while 恢复 (huīfù) typically refers to the process of recovery, and 复原 (fùyuán) often implies returning to an original state or form.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 恢 in place of 回 when they mean 'to return,' leading to incorrect phrases like 恢家 (incorrect) instead of 回家 (huíjiā, to return home). Additionally, some may mispronounce it as huí instead of huī, which alters its meaning.

Write 恢

恢

Practice writing 恢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar patterns of 恢

恢 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他从未从你哥哥去世的打击中____复过来。

He has never recovered from the shock of your brother's death.

Common confusions with 恢

恢vs会
huì

Similar pronunciation but different meanings.

恢vs挥
huī

Similar pronunciation; '挥' relates to movement.

Exercise 1 of 1

Which one

Which one means “to restore”?

or

Usage Notes for 恢

Misuse in Formal ContextsCommon Error

The character '恢' is often misused in casual contexts where simpler terms would suffice. It should be used in more formal writing or speech.

1

在正式文件中使用‘恢复’而不是‘恢’。

Use '恢复' instead of '恢' in formal documents.

Exercise 1 of 1

Get it right

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

在正式文件中使用‘____复’而不是‘恢’。

Use '恢复' instead of '恢' in formal documents.

Example sentences for 恢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他从未从你哥哥去世的打击中恢复过来。

tā cóngwèi cóng nǐ gēge qùshì de dǎjī zhōng huīfù guòlái。

He has never recovered from the shock of your brother's death.
2
同越南恢复友好关系的迹象越来越明显了。

tóng yuè nán huīfù yǒuhǎo guānxì de jìxiàng yuèláiyuè míngxiǎn le。

There have been growing signs of a ra-pprochement with Vietnam.
3
木头最近经过抛光又恢复了光泽。

mùtou zuìjìn jīngguò pāo guāng yòu huīfù le guāngzé。

The wood had been recently polished to bring back the shine.
4
马克过了一会儿才恢复镇静。

mǎ kè guò le yíhuìr cái huīfù zhènjìng。

It took a moment for Mark to recover his poise.
5
这位斗士相信自己仍然可以恢复从前的一些魔力。

zhè wèi dòu shì xiāngxìn zìjǐ réngrán kěyǐ huīfù cóngqián de yìxiē mólì。

The fighter believes he can still regain some of his old magic.
6
这是一部气势恢宏、引人入胜的电影,充满了动人心魄的瑰丽意象。

zhè shì yī bù qìshì huī hóng、 yǐnrénrùshèng de diànyǐng, chōngmǎn le dòngrén xīn pò de guī lí yìxiàng。

This is an ambitious and intriguing movie, full of striking imagery.
7
“这么说,他的记忆一定是完全恢复了?”——“差不多。”

“ zhème shuō, tā de jìyì yídìng shì wánquán huīfù le?”——“ chàbuduō。”

"His memory must be completely back, then?" — "Just about."
8
他的胫骨伤恢复得相当不错。

tā de jìng gǔ shāng huīfù de xiāngdāng búcuò。

He made a remarkable recovery from a shin injury.
9
在那段时期不断有人试图恢复死刑。

zài nà duàn shíqī búduàn yǒurén shìtú huīfù sǐ xíng。

During that time there have been repeated attempts to reintroduce capital punishment.
10
国会在结束夏季休会后今天开始恢复工作。

guóhuì zài jiéshù xiàjì Xiū huì hòu jīntiān kāishǐ huīfù gōngzuò。

Parliament returns to work today after its summer recess.

Ask Jason

Have a question about 恢?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

Word Family of 恢

Words containing this character7
恢复huīfùto reinstate恢復
恢huīgreat
恢复期huīfùqīconvalescence恢復期
恢宏huīhóngvast
恢弘huīhóngvast
天网恢恢tiānwǎnghuīhuīyou can't run from the long arm of the law天網恢恢
恢恢huīhuīvast
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 恢

What does 恢复 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 恢

Common phrases include 恢复健康 (huīfù jiànkāng, to restore health) and 恢弘事业 (huīhóng shìyè, to expand a career greatly).

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 恢?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab