往常 (wǎng cháng) — (noun) the usual time; ordinary circumstances | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

往常 is a noun meaning '(the) usual / ordinary times' — the past baseline you compare today against (比往常…，跟往常一样). Unlike 平常 it stresses past routine, and unlike 通常 it isn't an adverb.

noun

the usual timeordinary circumstances

Examples

往常。
Tā jīn tiān bǐ wǎng cháng lái de wǎn.
He came later than usual today.
往常，。
Gēn wǎng cháng yí yàng, tā zǎo shàng liù diǎn jiù qǐ chuáng le.
As usual, he got up at six in the morning.
往常。
Jīn nián de qíng kuàng gēn wǎng cháng bù tóng.
This year's situation is different from usual.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

往 means past and 常 means usual, so together they denote the ordinary times before now.

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.

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

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

尚shàng常cháng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Time (Abstract)

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