往 wǎng
“to go (in a direction); to; towards”
preposition, verbHSK 4 · 2021 list level 2
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
往 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 451: 往 wǎng — Level 2; official annotation 2 (动、介). PDF page 91
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 往
往 means “towards” or “in the direction of”. It is used before a place or direction word, and normally a verb follows the whole phrase: 往 + direction/place + verb (往右走, 往窗外看, 往前走). It also appears in fixed expressions like 往前 and 往后.
例句Example sentences
- 请往右走。qǐng wǎng yòu zǒu.Please walk to the right.
- 他一直往窗外看。tā yì zhí wǎng chuāng wài kàn.He keeps looking out the window.
- 一直往前走，你就会看到车站。yì zhí wǎng qián zǒu, nǐ jiù huì kàn dào chē zhàn.Go straight ahead, and you will see the station.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他往看窗外。
✓他往窗外看。
往 comes before the place or direction word, not directly before the verb.
易混词Easily confused
往vs向
Both 往 and 向 can mean “towards” before a direction or place (往前走 / 向前走). 往 is basically limited to physical directions and places, while 向 can also take a person or abstract thing as its object: 向老师请教, 向他表示感谢.
义项All meanings
- wǎng: to go (in a direction); to; towards; (of a train) bound for; past; previous
- wǎng: old variant of 往