Meaning of 前往
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to
How to use 前往
前往 is a formal verb, common in news, announcements, and written Chinese, and it is usually followed directly by a destination. In casual speech people more often say 去 (qù). Example: 他明天前往北京开会。(Tā míngtiān qiánwǎng Běijīng kāihuì.) He leaves for Beijing tomorrow for a meeting.
前往 is made of 前 (qián, front, forward) and 往 (wǎng, toward). Picture yourself facing forward and moving toward a place, and you have the meaning to go to or head for.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 前往 without a destination, as in 我前往了, which sounds incomplete. Say where you are going, or use 去 or 走 instead. Also keep the third tone on 往 (wǎng) and do not confuse it with 住 (zhù, to live), which looks similar.
前往 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
前 qián · front · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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- 8
- 9
往 wǎng · to go · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
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Related words
Words that share a character with 前往.
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday |
| 前边 | qiánbian | front; the front side |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last |
| 目前 | mùqián | at the present time; currently |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | ahead; in front |
| 前进 | qiánjìn | to go forward; to forge ahead |
| 交往 | jiāowǎng | to associate (with); to have contact (with) |
| 眼前 | yǎnqián | before one's eyes; now |
| 提前 | tíqián | to shift to an earlier date; to do sth ahead of time |
| 从前 | cóngqián | previously; formerly |
Questions about 前往
What does 前往 mean?
前往 (qiánwǎng) means "to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 前往?
前往 is made of 2 characters: 前 (9 strokes), 往 (8 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 前往 an HSK word?
Yes. 前往 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 前往 and 去?
Both mean to go to a place, but 前往 is more formal and written, while 去 is everyday speech. You will hear 前往 in airport announcements, such as 前往上海的旅客 (passengers going to Shanghai).
Can 前往 be used before a noun to describe it?
Yes. With 的 it can describe people or vehicles heading somewhere, as in 前往机场的大巴 (qiánwǎng jīchǎng de dàbā), the bus going to the airport. This pattern is very common on signs and in announcements.