戻る vs 戻ってくる ?!

[Shiroisan]

Do they not both mean return? What is the difference? My textbooks trying to teach me the latter as if it were some new vocabulary even though it should technically mean the exact same thing, shouldn't it??

[Ongakuka]

It might be a good idea to think of 'modoru' as a neutral verb meaning 'return' (something or someone returns to its original place) and 'modottekuru' as 'come back' (oft. to speaker or listener.)

戻ってきたよ！　I'm back!

元の形に戻った　It returned to its original form

[Shiroisan]

Hmm ok. That helps a bit, thanks.

[nyagao]

戻ってくる is a combined verb of 戻る + 来る.
You may know the meaning of 来る is like the word 'come', but its basis is "me", who is talking now.
So, 戻って来る implies to return and then come to me (or where I am).

戻る is just talking about the action of "return."
But 戻ってくる is used in the case that someone or something is/will be return and come to me, that is, come back to me.

Additionally, 戻って行く is 戻る＋行く。
行く means to go (away) from "me" or "from where I am now", just like the opposite of 来る.
So, 彼は戻って行く means like he goes back from me.

Furthermore, 行って来る is 行く＋来る。
It literally means to go from where I am now and finally come to where I am now.
So, the phrase "行って来ます" is often translated to "See you!"

Does it make sense to you?
Thanks!

[Shiroisan]

oh, thank you yes it does!
But... what did you thank me for?