General noun for turning something back, reversing, or returning something. Often used in compound terms or as a suffix.
Since I received a gift, I gave her something in return.
His words were a veiled retort aimed at me.
This technique is a counter move that uses the opponent's force.
return gift; return favor
Specifically a gift or favor given in return for something received. Often used in social contexts like お返し.
See also: お返し
I gave cookies as a return gift for Valentine's Day.
Technical term for the barb on a fishhook that prevents the hook from slipping out.
This fishing hook doesn't have a barb.
sweet soy glaze; teriyaki sauce base
A cooking mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, often used as a base for teriyaki or simmered dishes.
Marinate the chicken in the sweet soy glaze before grilling.
I had attached a barb to the fishing hook.
I made the sweet soy glaze for the soba dipping sauce.
謝礼 is a formal token of thanks (often money) given for a favor, whereas 返し is a broader term that can be any kind of gift given in return.
割り下 is the seasoned broth used for sukiyaki or nabe, while 返し is the thicker soy-based glaze used for soba dipping sauce or teriyaki.
返却 specifically means formally returning a borrowed item (like a library book), while 返し is a broader, more casual noun for turning or giving something back.
返品 means returning purchased goods to a store for a refund, while 返し is a general term for reversal or returning that isn't limited to commerce.
repetition; repeat; cycle · repeatedly; again and again; over and over
return gift; reciprocal favor · revenge; retaliation · change; money returned
by return; without delay · lapel; cuff; turn-up; flap · going back; returning; turn · chorus; refrain · shuttle service · aliasing · back-to-back; BTB · wrapping; wrap
recovery; undoing; recall
repaying a kindness; returning a favor
endpaper; end-paper · facing (of a garment) · looking back; triumphing over a rival
inside out; upside down · flip side; opposite; reverse
payback; retaliation; revenge · doing over again; redoing
turning back; returning
Standard kanji spelling for most senses.
Alternate kanji form, less common.
Noun form of the verb 返す (kaesu, 'to return, turn over'). The kanji 返 carries the core meaning of 'return' or 'reverse'.
rally; comeback; recovery · winding back; rewinding
reply; retort; talking back
counterattack; slashing back · railway switchback · twisting backward knee trip
plot twist; complete reversal; unexpected turn of events · rotating stage mechanism; revolving stage trick
retaliation; payback; tit for tat
return gift for funeral condolence money
reflected light; reflected heat; glare
repaying double; giving back twice the value · revenge twice as harsh; payback double the pain
returning half of a gift; half-return gift
makuragaeshi; pillow-flipping monster · changing a pillow's position; repositioning a pillow for a corpse · acrobatic pillow routine; multiple wooden pillow act
quickly reversed cut (sword technique) · swallow counter (judo technique); swallow flight reversal · swapping one's hand with the bottom row of the nearest wall (mahjong cheating) · completing a hand with an opponent's discarded riichi tile (mahjong)
lightly re-dyeing with indigo
minor inner footsweep
counter technique; reversal technique
backstitch
corner throw; corner reversal
point beyond which a horse cannot travel