人来人往 (rén lái rén wǎng) — bustling with people; people coming and going

Definition

An idiomatic four-character expression (成语) describing a busy place where people come and go constantly — like streets, stations, or markets.

verb

bustling with peoplepeople coming and going

人来人往，。
Jiē shàng rén lái rén wǎng, fēi cháng rè nao.
The street is bustling with people coming and going, very lively.
人来人往，。
Huǒ chē zhàn rén lái rén wǎng, lǚ kè men cōng cōng gǎn lù.
The train station is crowded with people coming and going, travelers hurrying along.
人来人往，。
Zhè ge shāng chǎng měi tiān rén lái rén wǎng, shēng yì hěn hǎo.
This mall is bustling with people every day, and business is very good.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

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.

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

王

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.

Appears in