How to Write 往 (wǎng) — Meaning “to go; towards; past”

Imagine a person (彳) walking toward a "master" (主) who is standing on a raised platform. The dot on the master’s head marks the spot you are moving towards. This picture helps you remember that 往 means "to go towards" or "toward."

The left radical 彳 has three strokes: first left‑falling, second shorter left‑falling, then a vertical line – do not merge them into just two strokes. The right part 主 has a dot on top, then two horizontals, a vertical, and a last horizontal; the dot must be above the first horizontal, not to the side. Common mistakes include writing the left as 亻 (single person) or making the dot too low.

往 (wǎng) has the right side 主 (master) and means "to go" or "towards." 彷 (páng) has the right side 方 (square/direction) and appears in the word 彷徨 (páng huáng, to wander). Visually, 往 uses a dot above a king shape, while 彷 uses the character 方; their meanings and pronunciation are completely different.

往 is very common as a preposition meaning "towards" (e.g., 往前走 wǎng qián zǒu, "walk forward") and as an adjective meaning "past" (e.g., 往事, "past events"). It also appears in HSK‑2 words like 往返 (round trip) and 交往 (to associate). A cultural note: in everyday speech, 往 is often used in directions and time references, making it essential for basic travel and social topics.

Common words containing 往 include: 往返 (wǎng fǎn) — round trip; to go back and forth; 往常 (wǎng cháng) — as usual; formerly; 交往 (jiāo wǎng) — to associate with; to date; contact.