过往

• Pinyin: guò wǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 过 = to pass; 往 = 彳 (step) + 主 (lord/main) — to go towards, the direction of past movement

Meaning

The past; former times; also: passers-by or people who pass through a place.

Functions both as a noun meaning 'the past' or 'former times' (literary register) and as a noun/verb meaning 'passers-by' or 'to pass back and forth'. The temporal meaning is prevalent in reflective, literary, or formal contexts. The physical meaning (people passing) appears in descriptive prose and signage.

Examples

1. 她翻看着旧相册，心中涌起对过往岁月的深深眷恋。 As she flipped through old photo albums, a deep longing for the years gone by welled up in her heart.
2. 两人相识多年，彼此对对方的过往都十分了解。 The two have known each other for years and understand each other’s past very well.
3. 节假日里，这条商业街上过往的行人络绎不绝。 During holidays, streams of people pass through this shopping street without end.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, reflection, history, daily life

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 无论过往经历了多少挫折，他始终保持着积极向上的心态。(No matter how many setbacks he experienced in the past, he always maintained a positive outlook.)
• 过往的经验告诉我们，仓促决策往往带来难以弥补的遗憾。(Past experience tells us that hasty decisions often bring regrets that are difficult to remedy.)

Don't Say

• 他的过往很光明 — 过往 typically collocates with difficulties or complexities; for straightforward positive histories use 经历 or 过去

Origin & History

过 (to pass, to go through) + 往 (to go towards; the past)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal