往往 (wǎngwǎng)

往往 describes something that tends to happen regularly or as a rule based on past pattern, meaning "often," "frequently," or "more often than not."

Meanings

[adverb] Often; frequently; as a rule (based on an observed pattern or tendency).

Example Sentences

冬天往往比夏天更难坚持锻炼。 Dōngtiān wǎngwǎng bǐ xiàtiān gèng nán jiānchí duànliàn. Winter is often harder to keep up with exercise than summer.

成功的人往往比别人更努力。 Chénggōng de rén wǎngwǎng bǐ biérén gèng nǔlì. Successful people tend to work harder than others.

他考试前往往睡不好觉。 Tā kǎoshì qián wǎngwǎng shuì bù hǎo jiào. He often cannot sleep well before exams.

好的机会往往只有一次，要好好把握。 Hǎo de jīhuì wǎngwǎng zhǐ yǒu yī cì, yào hǎohǎo bǎwò. Good opportunities often come only once; you must seize them well.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
往往会	often will; tends to
往往是	is often; tends to be
往往难以	it is often difficult to
情况往往	the situation often

Usage Notes

往往 is based on a past pattern or tendency and implies "this is how things tend to go." It cannot be used for one-time future arrangements. 常常 and 经常 are near-synonyms but simply mean "often/frequently" without the implication of a pattern based on experience.

Memory Hook

往 means "to go toward (the past)" and the reduplication 往往 suggests going that way again and again; things keep heading in the same direction.