Meaning
往 means to go, to proceed — movement directed away from where you stand. That same sense of departure, of something leaving the present moment, naturally extends to the past: events already gone, former times, eras now behind us.
The kanji splits into two clear parts. On the left is 彳, the "step" radical, which shows up across many kanji tied to walking and movement. On the right sits 主 ("master" or "main"), acting partly as a phonetic guide. The resulting image: a master striding forward, purposeful and unhurried, leaving everything behind him.
往 arrived in Japanese via Classical Chinese, where it already meant "going" or "departing." Over centuries the meaning stretched to cover what had already gone — the past itself. In modern Japanese, 往 almost never stands alone as a verb. It lives inside compound words (熟語), lending them a formal, literary, or slightly old-fashioned quality. Written with 8 strokes, it is taught at the 5th-grade level in Japanese elementary school. On the JLPT scale it sits at N1 — expect it in news writing, formal documents, and literature, not everyday conversation.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi オウ (ō) is essentially the only reading you need for compounds. It traces back to the ancient Chinese pronunciation, and nearly every word containing 往 uses it — making 往 one of the more predictable N1 kanji to deal with.
Key compounds using the オウ reading:
往復 (ōfuku) — round trip; going and returning
往来 (ōrai) — coming and going; street traffic; written correspondence between people
往路 (ōro) — the outward journey; the way there (as opposed to the return trip)
往診 (ōshin) — a doctor's house call; visiting a patient at home
往生 (ōjō) — (1) Buddhist: peaceful death, passing to the Pure Land; (2) colloquial: being completely stumped or finally giving up
往年 (ōnen) — past years; former glory; the good old days
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are い(く) (iku) and ゆ(く) (yuku), both meaning "to go." They mirror the everyday verb 行く, but swapping in 往 adds deliberate literary or archaic weight. You are far more likely to meet 往く in classical poetry or traditional song lyrics than in a text message. Think of the gap between English "go" and "depart" — same idea, very different register.
往く (yuku) — to go (literary, poetic nuance)
往く (iku) — to go (archaic written form; modern standard is 行く)
For speech and casual writing, always use 行く. Reach for 往く only when a classical or emotional tone is the point.
Common Words & Compounds
往 belongs to a formal register, so the compounds it builds tend to appear in news, medical documents, and literature rather than casual conversation. Below are the most useful and exam-relevant ones, grouped by theme.
Movement & Travel
往復 (ōfuku) — round trip; going and coming back. Widely used: 往復切符 (round-trip ticket), 往復メール (email exchange back and forth)
往路 (ōro) — the outward journey; the way there (contrasted with 復路, the return trip)
往来 (ōrai) — coming and going; a busy street; historically, written letters exchanged between people
右往左往 (uō saō) — running right and left in confusion; being completely flustered, not knowing which way to turn
Time & The Past
往年 (ōnen) — past years; former times; the heyday of someone's career or life
往時 (ōji) — former times; the old days (very literary expression)
往事 (ōji) — past events; things that happened long ago (same reading as 往時 but refers to specific bygone occurrences)
既往 (kiō) — the past; medical history. Common in healthcare: 既往症 (previous illness; past medical conditions)
Frequency & Other Uses
往々 (ōō) — often; not uncommonly. Almost always followed by にして: 往々にして (it is often the case that...). A formal written expression.
往診 (ōshin) — a doctor's house call; going to the patient rather than having them come to the clinic
往生 (ōjō) — in Buddhist context: dying peacefully; in colloquial use: being thoroughly stuck, at one's wit's end, or finally giving up after a long struggle
Example Sentences
往復チケットを買っておいた方がいいですよ。
Ōfuku chiketto wo katte oita hō ga ii desu yo.
You should go ahead and buy a round-trip ticket.
往路は新幹線で、復路は飛行機で帰る予定だ。
Ōro wa shinkansen de, fukuro wa hikōki de kaeru yotei da.
I plan to go by Shinkansen and come back by plane.
往来の激しい通りで子供が遊んでいた。
Ōrai no hageshii tōri de kodomo ga asonde ita.
Children were playing on a busy street.
往年の名選手が今日、引退を正式に発表した。
Ōnen no mei senshu ga kyō, intai wo seishiki ni happyō shita.
A legendary athlete from his prime officially announced his retirement today.
右往左往しないで、まず落ち着いて状況を整理しよう。
Uō saō shinai de, mazu ochitsuite jōkyō wo seiri shiyō.
Stop running around in a panic — let's calm down and sort out the situation first.
こういった誤解は往々にしてコミュニケーション不足から生まれる。
Kō itta gokai wa ōō ni shite komyunikēshon busoku kara umareru.
Misunderstandings like this often stem from a lack of communication.
先生は往診のため、診察室を出た。
Sensei wa ōshin no tame, shinsatsu-shitsu wo deta.
The doctor left the examination room to make a house call.
往生際が悪いな。もう認めてしまえばいいのに。
Ōjōgiwa ga warui na. Mō mitomete shimaeba ii no ni.
You really don't know when to give up. Just admit it already.
診察の際は、既往の病歴を詳しく医師に伝えてください。
Shinsatsu no sai wa, kiō no byōreki wo kuwashiku ishi ni tsutaete kudasai.
When you see the doctor, give a full account of your past medical history.
Memory Tip
Picture a master (主) setting off down a road. That dot at the top of 主 is a head held high; the strokes below are confident, purposeful legs. Add 彳 on the left — footsteps, the act of walking — and the kanji becomes a master striding forward, never glancing back. Everything he leaves behind becomes "the past."
That one-way momentum — going and leaving — is the whole story of 往. 往復 pairs the going with the return. 往年 names the years already gone. 右往左往 is what happens when you have no idea which way to walk. In every case, the master's deliberate stride is the thread. 往 = to go, and what has already gone.