<p>Please read this previously asked question : <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23937/are-both-%e5%9b%9e%e4%ba%86-and-%e5%9b%9e%e6%9d%a5%e4%ba%86-correct-responses-to-%e4%bd%a0%e5%9b%9e%e5%a4%a9%e6%b4%a5%e4%ba%86%e5%90%97-have-you-returned-to-tianjin">Are both 回了 and 回来了 correct responses to 你回天津了吗 (have you returned to Tianjin)?</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Since you are currently in Beijing, the answer should be ' Yes I have <strong>came</strong> back to Beijing' (我回北京<strong>来</strong>了 or simply 回来了 or even 回了)</p>
<ul>
<li>The answer is in your own perspective</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you replied: &quot;Yes, I have gone back to Beijing&quot; (我回北京去了) Then you are pretending you are in Shanghai with your friend, because your voice is heard in Shanghai via the telephone.</p>
<ul>
<li>The answer  would be in your friend's perspective</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>In conclusion: both 回来了 ( your perspective) and 回去了 (your friend's perspective) are acceptable over the phone.</p>
<p>If you omit 来 or 去 and just say : &quot;回了&quot; then it can be interpreted either way.</p>
<p>It would be much simpler if both you and your friend were in the same location.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-06T01:03:09.830Z
2017-06-06T01:24:33.317Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>我回去了:<br/>
I am going back, or: I will go back (to the place I come from).</p>

<p>我回来了:<br/>
I am coming back, or, I have come back (from the place I had been to).</p>

<p>我要回北京去了:<br/>
I am going back to Beijing, or: I will go back to Beijing.</p>

<p>我已经回北京了:<br/>
I am coming back to Beijing.</p>

<p>我从上海回来了:<br/>
I am coming back from Shanghai, or, I have just come back from Shanghai.</p>

<p>If you have arrived in Beijing, you may answer him:<br>
我回来了。<br>
我回北京了。<br>
我已经回（到）北京了。<br>
If you are still in Shanghai, and about to go back, you may answer him:<br>
我(要)回北京去了。</p>

<p>The character in brackets can be omitted.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-06T13:24:39.900Z
2017-06-06T13:34:04.557Z
2017-06-06T13:34:04.557Z
xenophōn
<p>Imagine I am in Beijing, and I just returned from a trip to Shanghai. A friend in Shanghai calls me and asks "你回北京去了吗?" I can't really say 对 or 没错 or 是的 to confirm his question, because I did not 回去, I 回来ed.</p>

<p>Is it acceptable to respond with "我回去了" or must I say "我回来了?"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-09T09:50:57.650Z
it depends location of you and your target.
Shanghai says: 你回去北京了？ (your friend is not in Beijing,so "回去").
if you are already in Beijing, you can say: 我回来了。
if you are still in plane or train, you can say: 我正回去北京 or 我正准备回去北京。(we can also 回北京, the audience can see 回去 or 回来).
Daniel Yang
<meaning><word-choice><mandarin>
来 去 depending on location
# 来 去 depending on location

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-06)

Imagine I am in Beijing, and I just returned from a trip to Shanghai. A friend in Shanghai calls me and asks "你回北京去了吗?" I can't really say 对 or 没错 or 是的 to confirm his question, because I did not 回去, I 回来ed.

Is it acceptable to respond with "我回去了" or must I say "我回来了?"

**Tags:** meaning, word-choice, mandarin
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: it depends location of you and your target. Shanghai says: 你回去北京了？ (your friend is not in Beijing,so "回去"). if you are already in Beijing, you can say: 我回来了。 if you are still in plane or train, you can say: 我正回去北京 or 我正准备回去北京。(we can also 回北京, the audience can see 回去 or 回来).  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-06. Score: 1

Please read this previously asked question : [Are both 回了 and 回来了 correct responses to 你回天津了吗 (have you returned to Tianjin)?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23937/are-both-%e5%9b%9e%e4%ba%86-and-%e5%9b%9e%e6%9d%a5%e4%ba%86-correct-responses-to-%e4%bd%a0%e5%9b%9e%e5%a4%a9%e6%b4%a5%e4%ba%86%e5%90%97-have-you-returned-to-tianjin)

> Since you are currently in Beijing, the answer should be ' Yes I have **came** back to Beijing' (我回北京**来**了 or simply 回来了 or even 回了)
>
> * The answer is in your own perspective

~

> If you replied: "Yes, I have gone back to Beijing" (我回北京去了) Then you are pretending you are in Shanghai with your friend, because your voice is heard in Shanghai via the telephone.
>
> * The answer would be in your friend's perspective

In conclusion: both 回来了 ( your perspective) and 回去了 (your friend's perspective) are acceptable over the phone.

If you omit 来 or 去 and just say : "回了" then it can be interpreted either way.

It would be much simpler if both you and your friend were in the same location.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-06-06. Score: 1

我回去了:  
I am going back, or: I will go back (to the place I come from).

我回来了:  
I am coming back, or, I have come back (from the place I had been to).

我要回北京去了:  
I am going back to Beijing, or: I will go back to Beijing.

我已经回北京了:  
I am coming back to Beijing.

我从上海回来了:  
I am coming back from Shanghai, or, I have just come back from Shanghai.

If you have arrived in Beijing, you may answer him:  
我回来了。  
我回北京了。  
我已经回（到）北京了。  
If you are still in Shanghai, and about to go back, you may answer him:  
我(要)回北京去了。

The character in brackets can be omitted.


---

