以往

yǐ wǎng

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1. in the past
2. formerly

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 将来 jiāng lái 将来 jiāng lái in the future 将来 means 'in the future', opposite of 以往 'in the past'.: in the future

Synonyms

1 item

• 从前 cóng qián 从前 cóng qián Both refer to past times, but 以往 is more formal and used in writing.: Both refer to past times, but 以往 is more formal and used in writing.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

以往 cannot be used as an adverb directly; say 在以往 (in the past) or 以往的事 (past matters). Do not say *以往我去了 to mean 'I went in the past'.

Formality

以往 is formal/literary; in spoken Mandarin, use 以前 (yǐqián) instead.

Example Sentences

1 shown

以往 的经验告诉我们，做事要小心。

Past experience tells us to be careful when doing things.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 以往

• 以 以 yǐ: to use
• 往 往 wǎng: to go (in a direction)