往 + Direction (toward)

• 拼音: wǎng
• 结构: 往 + Direction / Place + Verb
• 汉字拆解: 往 = 彳 (step) + 主 (lord/main)

含义

Use 往 (wǎng) before a direction or place to indicate the direction of movement, meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of.' It is commonly paired with verbs of motion like 走 (walk), 跑 (run), or 看 (look).

往 is a directional preposition that specifies which way an action is directed. It always appears before the direction word or place noun, forming a directional phrase that modifies the following verb. Common combinations include 往前走 (walk forward), 往左拐 (turn left), and 往南开 (drive south). Unlike 到 which emphasizes arrival at a destination, 往 emphasizes the direction of movement without implying arrival. In spoken Chinese, 往 is sometimes interchangeable with 朝 (cháo), though 往 is more common in everyday speech and especially in giving directions. Note that 往 typically takes monosyllabic direction words like 前、后、左、右、上、下、东、南、西、北, or short place names.

例句

1. 你往前走两百米就能看到银行了。
2. 别往右拐，往左拐才对。
3. 他往窗外看了一眼。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 出了地铁站往右走就到了。
• 别往那边走，路不好走。
• 她往教室的方向跑去。

错误说法

• 往到学校走。(往 indicates direction, not destination — use 往学校走 without 到, or use 走到学校 without 往) → 往学校走。
• 他走往前。(往 must come before the direction word, not after the verb — say 他往前走) → 他往前走。

起源与历史

The character 往 combines 彳 (step) and 主 (lord/main), suggesting the idea of stepping toward a main destination. It has been used since ancient Chinese to indicate the direction of travel.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal