来来往往 (lái lái wǎng wǎng) — to come and go frequently; to see each other of…

Definition

An AAB pattern describing a place or two parties where people keep coming and going — a busy scene, or two sides that visit each other often. Used as a vivid predicate, not for a single trip.

verb

to come and go frequentlyto see each other often (of people or social interactions)

Examples

来来往往，。
Chē zhàn lǐ lái lái wǎng wǎng, rén hěn duō.
The station is bustling with people coming and going.
来来往往，。
Tā men liǎng jiā lái lái wǎng wǎng, cháng cháng yì qǐ chī fàn.
The two families see each other often and frequently eat together.
来来往往，。
Jiē shàng lái lái wǎng wǎng, fēi cháng rè nao.
The street is bustling with people coming and going, very lively.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

来来come repeatedly

来láicome来láicome

往往go repeatedly

往wǎnggo往wǎnggo

The repeated 来 and 往 show many people coming and going back and forth.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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 →