()(もど)

まいもどる
verb, godan
to come back; to return (unexpectedly)
1. to come back; to return
To return to a place or situation, often implying an unexpected or unwelcome return. Carries a slightly dramatic or emphatic nuance compared to the plain 戻る.
(ねこ)三日(みっか)ぶりに()(もど)ってきた。
The cat came back after three days.
故郷(ふるさと)()(かれ)は、十年後(じゅうねんご)()(もど)った。
He left his hometown and came back ten years later.
やっと解決(かいけつ)したと(おも)ったら、(おな)問題(もんだい)がまた()(もど)ってきた。
Just when I thought it was finally resolved, the same problem came back again.

()(もど)る is an intransitive godan verb. It is a compound of ()う (to dance, to flutter) and (もど)る (to return).

ASPECT (ている):
()(もど)っている indicates the resulting state of having returned.

PARTICLE PATTERNS:

  • [place]に()(もど)る (return to a place)
  • [place]から()(もど)る (return from a place)

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 故郷(ふるさと)()(もど)る (return to one's hometown)
  • (もと)場所(ばしょ)()(もど)る (come back to the original place)

The ()い prefix gives the return a sense of lightness or unexpectedness — as if the person or thing fluttered back. Often used when the return is surprising, unwelcome, or after a long absence. More expressive and literary than plain (もど)る.