往 (wǎng) - to go & to proceed
往 · wǎng
to go;
to proceed;
past;
previous;
former;
towards;
in the direction of
to goto proceedpast
Usage highlights
past eventsto go back and forthtowardspast yearsto go forwardto and fro
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He went to the market (往市场).
- Looking back on past events (往事).
- The train heading towards Beijing (往北京的火车).
- We often go back and forth (往来).
Collocations
- past events(往事)
- to go back and forth(往来)
- towards(往...方向)
- past years(往年)
- to go forward(前往)
- to and fro(往返)
Idioms
- Heart longs for the divine(心驰神往)
- Unprecedented and unrepeatable(前无古人，后无来者)
- Go forward courageously(勇往直前)
- The past is gone forever(往事如烟)
- Come and go freely(来往自如)
Cultural background
FAQ- In Buddhism, 往生 refers to rebirth in the Pure Land, representing spiritual transition.
- The character embodies the concept of temporal flow and spatial movement in Chinese philosophy.
- Often used in historical contexts to refer to bygone eras and former times.