往復（おうふく、oufuku）
- round trip

The Japanese word 往復 (おうふく, *ōfuku*) primarily means "round trip," "going and returning," or "back and forth." It describes a journey or movement that involves going to a place and then coming back. It can also refer to the act of sending something and receiving something back. The core idea is a complete cycle, involving movement or exchange in two directions.

⚫︎東京と大阪を往復する Translation: To make a round trip between Tokyo and Osaka. ⚫︎飛行機の往復チケット Translation: A round-trip plane ticket. ⚫︎手紙を往復する Translation: To exchange letters back and forth.

You use 往復 when you're talking about journeys that involve both going and returning. It's suitable for various contexts, from travel to communication. It is a very common word to describe activities that have a beginning and an end in the same place or with the same person. It can describe physical movement as well as the flow of information or items.

往復 is typically written with the kanji 往 (going) and 復 (returning), along with the hiragana reading おうふく. The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) doesn't change; 往 and 復 are always together.

⚫︎往来 (おうらい, *ōrai*): This word also means "going and coming" and can sometimes be used interchangeably with 往復, but it can also imply general traffic or movement in both directions, not necessarily a specific round trip. ⚫︎往路と復路 (おうろとふくろ, *ōro to fukuro*): This means "outward journey and return journey." It's more specific, but it expresses the same idea.

⚫︎片道 (かたみち, *katamichi*): This means "one way." It's the direct opposite of a round trip.

私は週末に実家に往復しました。 ・Translation: I made a round trip to my parents' home on the weekend. ・Explanation: This sentence describes going to the parents' home and then returning.

この電車は東京と横浜の間を往復しています。 ・Translation: This train makes round trips between Tokyo and Yokohama. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates the train travels back and forth between the two cities.

The kanji 往 means "to go," "departure," or "journey." The kanji 復 means "to return," "to restore," or "again." The combination of these two characters creates the meaning of "going and returning." The word likely originated from the need to describe journeys and movements that involve a complete cycle.