TongTong
Sign in

往昔 (wǎng xī) — the past, former times

Definition

Literary, written-style word for 'the past' — more formal and poetic than the everyday 过去 kùqù or 以前 yǐqián.

noun
the pastformer times

Examples

  • 往昔，。
    Huí yì wǎng xī, gǎn kǎi wàn qiān.
    Recalling the past, I am filled with a myriad of emotions.
  • 往昔。
    wǎng xī De shí guāng yí qù bú fù fǎn.
    The days of the past are gone forever.
  • 往昔。
    Tā cháng cháng huái niàn wǎng xī de měi hǎo.
    He often misses the beauty of the past.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

往wǎngpast
昔xīformer times

往昔 joins 往 and 昔, both referring to past or former times, to denote the past.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng往wǎng
Same sound today

The form that became 往 paired 止, a foot, with 王 for the sound; a stepping part was later added, and the right side changed.

Open 往 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun; day
Sound part声符shēngfú
龷
龷龷昔xī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The lower 日 is a sun/day, pointing to past days; the upper 龷 gives the sound and was first drawn as a wrinkled or intertwined texture.

Open 昔 →
Appears in
Time (Abstract)

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.