返します（かえします、kaeshimasu）
- to return

The Japanese verb 返します, pronounced かえします (kaeshimasu), primarily means "to return," "to give back," or "to send back." It implies the act of bringing something back to its original place, or to the person or entity from which it was received. It can also signify a response, like answering a question or paying back a debt. The nuance depends on the context of the sentence. 返します is a polite form of the verb.

⚫︎本を 図書館に 返します。 Translation: I will return the book to the library. ⚫︎お金を 返します。 Translation: I will return the money. ⚫︎質問に 返事します。 (This example uses a related verb) Translation: I will answer the question.

⚫︎You would use 返します when you want to describe the action of giving something back, whether it's a physical object, a debt, or even a response. ⚫︎The specific object or concept being returned is often indicated by the direct object marker を (o), and the recipient or destination is usually indicated by the particle に (ni) or へ (e). ⚫︎The polite form, 返します, is appropriate for most situations. More casual forms exist, like 返す (kaesu - dictionary form), used among close friends or family. ⚫︎Pay attention to the context to understand exactly what is being "returned." It could be a borrowed item, a favor, a service, or an answer.

⚫︎The verb is typically written with the kanji 返 (kae) combined with the hiragana します (shimasu): 返します. ⚫︎The kanji 返 on its own means "to return," "to repay," or "to answer". ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) is します. ⚫︎The dictionary form of this verb is 返す (kaesu).

⚫︎戻す (modosu): to put back, to return something to its original state or place (often implies a physical action). ⚫︎戻る (modoru): to go back, to return (oneself). ⚫︎返す (kaesu): a more casual form of 返します.

⚫︎受け取る (uketoru): to receive, to accept. ⚫︎借りる (kariru): to borrow. ⚫︎あげる (ageru): to give (to someone else).

友達に 借りた 本を 明日 返します。 ・Translation: I will return the book I borrowed from my friend tomorrow. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the core meaning of 返します: returning a borrowed item.

私は彼に 借金を 返します。 ・Translation: I will repay the debt to him. ・Explanation: This shows 返します being used in the context of repaying a financial obligation.

The kanji 返 is composed of the radicals for "road" (辶) and "opposite" or "reverse" (反). This suggests a movement back along a path or in a reversed direction. The verb likely originated from this concept of a return or reversal of an action or object.