往
往 (wǎng) means “towards”. It is made of 彳 + 王 and has 8 strokes, and is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 往 into its parts
What 往 is made of
- 彳 chì — to step with the left foot
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 王 wáng — king
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 土 tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 彳 gives the meaning, 王 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
往 stroke order
Example sentences
一直往前走。Yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu.Go straight ahead.
火车往北开。Huǒchē wǎng běi kāi.The train is heading north.
Words with 往
- 交往jiāowǎngto associate with
- 前往qiánwǎngto go to
- 往往wǎngwǎngoften
- 往返wǎngfǎnto go back and forth
- 礼尚往来lǐshàngwǎngláicourtesy demands reciprocity
- 往常wǎngchángusual
- 往事wǎngshìpast events
- 向往xiàngwǎngto yearn for
- 一如既往yīrújìwǎngjust as always
- 以往yǐwǎngin the past
Also built with 彳
- 役yìservant
- 彻chèpenetrating
- 彼bǐthat
- 征zhēngto summon
- 径jìngpath
- 待dāito stay
- 很hěnvery
- 徊huáito linger
- 律lǜstatute
- 徒túdisciple
- 得déto get
- 徘páito dither
Quick facts
| Pinyin | wǎng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | towards; to (a direction) |
| Strokes | 8 |
| Radical | 彳 (step, #60) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 2 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) · Old HSK 2 |
Questions about 往
What does 往 mean?
往 (wǎng) means “towards; to (a direction)”.
How many strokes does 往 have?
往 has 8 strokes.
What is the radical of 往?
The radical of 往 is 彳 (chì, “step”), Kangxi radical number 60.
What parts make up 往?
往 is made of 彳 (to step with the left foot) and 王 (king).
Which HSK level is 往?
往 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Learn 往 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 23: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.