Retourner and revenir are perhaps the most common ways to say “to return” in French. But there are many other options, each with its own nuance and context. As you navigate daily life, whether you're returning home, returning a book, or returning to a conversation, you'll find that French offers a rich vocabulary for this simple action. Let's explore the many ways to express “to return” in French!

The general 'to return' (to a place or situation) – retourner

The general 'to return' (to a place or situation) – retourner

Among the various French verbs for 'to return,' retourner is perhaps the most general and versatile. It signifies going back to a place, a situation, or even turning something over.

Its most common use is to express the idea of going back or returning to a place. This can be any location, unlike rentrer which is specific to returning home.

Like many verbs of movement, retourner conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., passé composé). For example, Je suis retourné(e) (I returned).

Beyond physical locations, retourner can also mean to return to a previous state, condition, or even a topic in a conversation. Think of it as 'reverting' or 'going back to' something non-physical.

The reflexive form, se retourner, specifically means 'to turn around' or 'to face the other way.' This is a distinct usage from simply returning to a place.

While retourner is broad, it's useful to know it differs from rentrer (to return home) and revenir (to come back, often implying returning to the speaker's location or origin). Retourner is more about simply going back.

Retourner can also be used figuratively, for instance, to 'turn something inside out' or 'upset someone greatly.' For example, ça me retourne (it upsets me).

💡 * Je dois retourner à la maison pour récupérer mes clés. (I need to return home to get my keys.)

• Elle est retournée à son bureau après le déjeuner. (She returned to her office after lunch.)
• Nous sommes retournés sur nos pas pour retrouver le chemin. (We retraced our steps to find the way.)
• Il s'est retourné brusquement en entendant son nom. (He turned around abruptly when he heard his name.)
• Après cette nouvelle, tout s'est retourné dans ma tête. (After this news, everything turned upside down in my head.)

The 'to return home' or 'to come back inside' – rentrer

The French verb rentrer primarily means 'to return home' or 'to come back inside'. It's a fundamental verb for discussing movements related to one's dwelling or a specific indoor location.

One of rentrer's most frequent uses is to express the idea of returning to one's home. Whether it's after work, school, or a trip, rentrer is the natural choice when you're heading back to your place, emphasizing the destination as 'home'.

Beyond just home, rentrer also signifies 'to come back inside' a building or enclosed space you've previously exited. For example, if you step out for a moment and then go back in, you would use rentrer to describe that action.

Like many verbs of movement, rentrer conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. For instance, in the passé composé, you would say Je suis rentré(e) (I returned/came back home/inside).

While retourner means 'to return' (general sense, like returning to a place you visited) and revenir means 'to come back' (to the speaker's current location), rentrer specifically implies returning to a home or inside a building, making it more precise for these contexts.

💡 * Je rentre à la maison après le travail. (I'm going home after work.)

• Quand es-tu rentré hier soir ? (When did you come home last night?)
• Il pleut, rentrons ! (It's raining, let's go back inside!)
• Elles sont rentrées de vacances la semaine dernière. (They returned from vacation last week.)
• Le chat est rentré par la fenêtre. (The cat came back in through the window.)

The 'to come back' (to a starting point or the speaker's location) – revenir

When you want to express the idea of 'to come back' in French, especially to a place you've been before or to the speaker's location, the verb revenir is your go-to.

Revenir literally means 'to come back' or 'to return'. It implies a movement towards a starting point or towards the person speaking, distinguishing it from verbs like rentrer (to go home, to re-enter) or retourner (to go back to a place, often not the starting point or speaker's location).

Like many verbs of movement in French, revenir is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., passé composé, plus-que-parfait). This means the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.

You will often see revenir used with prepositions like à (to) or de (from), or simply by itself when the destination is implied. For instance, revenir à la maison (to come back home) or revenir de vacances (to come back from vacation).

The key distinction of revenir is its directional aspect: the action of returning is directed back to a specific point or person, often where the subject or speaker currently is, or where they started from.

Revenir is an irregular verb, belonging to the same family as venir (to come). This means its conjugation patterns need to be learned, though they often follow similar patterns to venir.

💡 * Je suis revenu(e) hier soir. (I came back last night.)

• Elle revient de vacances la semaine prochaine. (She's coming back from vacation next week.)
• Nous sommes revenus au point de départ. (We came back to the starting point.)
• Quand est-ce que tu reviens ? (When are you coming back?)
• Ils ne sont jamais revenus de leur voyage. (They never came back from their trip.)

The 'to return an object' or 'to give back' – rendre

The verb rendre is a fundamental French verb that primarily translates to 'to return an object' or 'to give something back'.

It's crucial to distinguish rendre from other 'return' verbs like retourner (to return to a place) or revenir (to come back). Rendre specifically applies to giving things back.

As a transitive verb, rendre always requires a direct object, which is the item being returned. For instance, you rendez un livre (return a book).

Beyond physical objects, rendre can also be used for abstract concepts, such as rendre visite à quelqu'un (to pay someone a visit) or rendre service (to do a favor).

💡 *Je dois rendre ce livre à la bibliothèque. (I have to return this book to the library.)
*Il a rendu le stylo qu'il m'avait emprunté. (He returned the pen he had borrowed from me.)
*N'oubliez pas de rendre les clés avant de partir. (Don't forget to give back the keys before leaving.)
*Quand allez-vous me rendre mon argent ? (When are you going to give me back my money?)

The 'to bring back' or 'to report back' – rapporter

The 'to bring back' or 'to report back' – rapporter

The verb rapporter primarily means 'to bring back' or 'to take back' an object to a certain place or person. It implies returning something that was previously taken or moved.

Another crucial meaning of rapporter is 'to report back' or 'to recount' information. This involves conveying details, news, or findings to someone, often after an observation or investigation.

When used with objects, rapporter emphasizes the act of returning something. For example, you might say « Rapporter un livre à la bibliothèque » ('to return a book to the library') or « Rapporter les courses à la maison » ('to bring the groceries home').

When referring to information, rapporter signifies sharing what one has learned or witnessed. You can « rapporter des nouvelles » ('report news'), « rapporter des faits » ('report facts'), or « rapporter un témoignage » ('report a testimony').

Beyond physical return and verbal reporting, rapporter can also mean 'to yield' (e.g., « Ce projet va rapporter beaucoup d'argent » - 'This project will yield a lot of money') or 'to recount' a story. Its versatility makes it a key verb in French.

💡 * Peux-tu me rapporter mon parapluie qui est resté au café ? (Can you bring me back my umbrella that was left at the cafe?)

• Il doit rapporter les documents signés à son bureau avant midi. (He must bring the signed documents back to his office before noon.)
• Elle a rapporté tous les détails de la réunion à son équipe. (She reported back all the details of the meeting to her team.)
• Les journalistes rapportent les faits sans donner leur opinion. (Journalists report the facts without giving their opinion.)
• Ce petit investissement pourrait rapporter gros à long terme. (This small investment could yield a lot in the long run.)

The 'to drop by again' or 'to return briefly' – repasser

The French verb repasser literally means 'to pass again.' However, in everyday conversation, it's most commonly used to express the idea of 'dropping by,' 'popping in,' or 'returning briefly' to a place or person.

When you want to say you'll make a quick stop somewhere or visit someone for a short period, repasser is the perfect verb. It implies a temporary presence, not a long stay or a permanent return. Think of it as a casual, brief re-visitation.

While 'dropping by' is a primary use, it's crucial to know that repasser has other common meanings. It means 'to iron' (e.g., repasser le linge – to iron the laundry) and 'to retake' an exam or test (repasser un examen). Context will always clarify which meaning is intended.

It's important to distinguish repasser from retourner ('to go back/return' to a place) or revenir ('to come back/return' to a starting point). Repasser emphasizes the briefness and often implies passing through or making a quick stop rather than a full return.

💡 * Je repasserai te voir demain. (I'll drop by to see you tomorrow.)

• Tu peux repasser par la boulangerie en rentrant ? (Can you stop by the bakery on your way home?)
• Il faut que je repasse cette chemise avant de sortir. (I need to iron this shirt before going out.)
• J'espère ne pas avoir à repasser cet examen. (I hope I don't have to retake this exam.)

The 'to return to' (a position, status, or place after an absence) – regagner

The verb regagner means "to return to" a specific place, position, or status, often implying a deliberate act of regaining or rejoining something after an absence. It carries a nuance of effort or purpose in the return.

Unlike rentrer (to return home) or retourner (to return to a place), regagner is used when the return involves reclaiming something lost, like strength or trust, or returning to a specific post, position, or base after being away.

You'll frequently encounter regagner when discussing returning to one's post (regagner son poste), room (regagner sa chambre), home base (regagner sa base), or regaining lost ground (regagner du terrain) or trust (regagner la confiance).

💡 * Il doit regagner sa position avant la fin du match. (He must return to his position before the end of the match.)

• Après une longue maladie, elle a regagné toutes ses forces. (After a long illness, she regained all her strength.)
• Les soldats ont regagné leur base après la mission. (The soldiers returned to their base after the mission.)
• Nous espérons regagner la confiance de nos clients. (We hope to regain the trust of our clients.)
• Veuillez regagner vos sièges, le spectacle va commencer. (Please return to your seats, the show is about to begin.)

The 'to put back' or 'to return to its original place' – remettre

The verb remettre is a versatile French verb, primarily meaning 'to put back' or 'to return to its original place'. It's derived from mettre (to put) with the prefix re- (again).

At its most basic, remettre signifies placing something back where it belongs or where it was previously. Think of it as 're-putting' an object.

Beyond just physical placement, remettre is also commonly used to mean 'to hand in' (like homework or a report) or 'to give back' an item to its owner.

A very important and frequent usage of remettre is 'to postpone' or 'to put off'. This is essential to know as it's a common way to talk about rescheduling events or tasks.

💡 * Il faut remettre les livres sur l'étagère. (You must put the books back on the shelf.)

• J'ai remis ma démission hier. (I handed in my resignation yesterday.)
• Nous devons remettre la réunion à la semaine prochaine. (We have to postpone the meeting until next week.)
• As-tu remis la clé à ton voisin ? (Did you give the key back to your neighbor?)
• Il s'est remis de sa maladie. (He recovered from his illness.)

The 'to give back' (again) or 'to restore' – redonner

When you want to express the idea of 'giving back' something that was previously given, or 'restoring' something to its former state, the French verb you're looking for is redonner.

The verb redonner is a compound of the prefix re- (meaning 'again' or 'back') and the verb donner (meaning 'to give'). This etymology directly informs its dual core meanings: 'to give again' or 'to give back', and by extension, 'to restore'.

One of the most common uses of redonner is to signify the act of returning an object to its owner or to the place it came from. It implies a previous act of giving or lending.

Redonner is also widely used to mean 'to restore' or 'to bring back' a quality, a state, or an emotion. This could be restoring health, energy, hope, courage, or even a color to an object.

In some contexts, redonner can simply mean 'to give again,' often implying a second chance or renewed opportunity. This usage is less about returning an object and more about repeating the act of giving.

💡 *Je dois te redonner ton livre demain. (I need to give your book back to you tomorrow.)
*Ce café m'a redonné de l'énergie. (This coffee gave me back some energy / restored my energy.)
*Son sourire lui a redonné espoir. (Her smile gave him back hope / restored his hope.)
*Le soleil a redonné de la couleur aux fleurs. (The sun restored color to the flowers.)
*Nous devrions lui redonner une chance. (We should give him another chance.)

Are there other ways to say 'to return' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to return' in French?

Our list has covered the most common and essential verbs for 'to return' in French. However, the French language is rich with nuances, and you might encounter other terms – from more formal or archaic expressions to specific regionalisms or even modern slang for coming back.

If you're curious about specific regional expressions for 'to return,' you can always do an online search for 'comment dire retourner en ___' followed by a particular Francophone country or region, like 'comment dire retourner en Belgique' or 'comment dire retourner en Afrique'.

You might discover some interesting verbs or phrases that mean 'to return' beyond those we've discussed. As always, make sure to verify a word's exact meaning and observe its usage in context before incorporating it into your own vocabulary.

To truly master these nuances, pay close attention as you read, watch, and listen to French media. You'll likely pick up on different ways native speakers express the idea of returning, whether it's to a place, a state, or an action.

For a deeper dive into verbs related to 'returning' or 'going back,' the WordReference entry for retourner or rentrer is an excellent resource. It often provides synonyms, expressions, and usage examples that can further enrich your understanding.

I hope this article has helped clarify the different French verbs for 'to return.' Mastering these verbs is a key step in expressing movement and transitions. As the French proverb wisely reminds us, On n'est jamais si bien que chez soi (There's no place like home), emphasizing the comfort and familiarity of returning.