Comparing "huifu" and "huanyuan"

This may be one of the trickiest two verbs to get right. Their meanings are so close. They both mean that something returns to its original state. However, they have some small difference in how they are used, and the words they are often paired with are different.

恢复(huī fù) 和 还原(huán yuán) 都含有使事物回到原来的状态的含义，但是有细微的差别，搭配的对象不一致。

恢复 can be used before the noun

恢复 expressing that something is restored that was once destroyed. messed up, or lost. It comes back into its original state or appearance. Often it is used with words like 身体, 体力, 社会, 秩序 etc.

One way to use 恢复 is to put it before the noun or noun phrase

恢复表示之前有所破坏、损坏、中断或失去的事物，变回原来的样子或是重新获得。一般连用的对象有：身体、体力、社会秩序等。

恢复（了）+ Noun/Noun Phrase

Examples

• 恢复 体力。
• 中国 1977年 恢复 了 高考。
• 地铁 恢复 了 正常 运行。

恢复 can also be used at the end of a sentence

you can also put 恢复 after, usually paired with a 了.

Noun/Noun Phrase + 恢复了

Examples

• 他 的 身体 恢复 了。
• 社会 秩序 恢复 了。
• 他 的 职位 恢复 了 。

Structure of 还原

还原 also means "returning to the original state or condition", but this time it is strongly emphasizing going back exactly to how it was before. It does not have the same "destroyed" connotation of 恢复.

Grammar pattern wise, it's pretty much used the same way as 恢复.

还原的意思是事物恢复原状，但是强调和原来的一模一样。它不包含“恢复”含有的损毁、破坏之意。

还原 + Noun/Nominal Phrase

Examples

• 还原 历史 的 真相。
• 他 想 把 这个 应用程序 还原 成 代码。

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK6