Someone asked me:
你回天津了吗？ (nǐ huí tiānjīn le ma = have you returned to Tianjin)
I replied 回了 (huí le = returned), but I'm wondering if I should have said 回来了 (huílái le = returned) instead, or if both are acceptable.
Question: Are both 回了 and 回来了 correct responses to 你回天津了吗 (have you returned to Tianjin)?
回 = back; 来 = come; 去 = go
回来 = come back; 回去 = go back
回天津去了 = "have gone back to Tianjin"
回天津来了 = "have came back to Tianjin"
你回天津了吗？
If the question is asked in 天津, that would mean it is actually asking "你回天津(来)了吗？ (have you came back to Tianjin?), then you can answer "回来了" (yes, I have came back) or simply "回了" [yes, I have (came back)]
If the question is asked anywhere else, that would mean it is actually asking "你回天津(去)了吗？ (have you gone back to Tianjin?) then you can answer "回去了" (yes, I have gone back) or simply "回了" [yes, I have (gone back)]
In conclusion:
Depend on either you are in Tianjin or not, "回了" could means "I had came back"(if you are in Tianjin) or "I had gone back".(if you are not in Tianjin)
Use 回了 when you speak to someone not in 天津 or when you are talking about past event. Use 回了/回来了 otherwise. 回来了 focus on current state that you are in 天津 now.
i think both are acceptable.in your case,回了 is a abbreviation of 回来了. for example,when someone ask me if i eaten a dinner(吃饭了吗), i usually say 吃了(eaten).it is equal to say 吃饭了(eaten).
