往往
Drop 往往 before a verb when you want to say something tends to happen, often happens, or is the typical pattern — 'real love often hides right next to us,' 'when we look for an ideal partner, we often have many standards.' It describes a general tendency based on observation, not a single occurrence. Sits between the subject and the verb. Slightly bookish in tone; common in essays, opinion pieces, and reflective speech.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 往往 [VERB / PREDICATE]
wǎngwǎng
How to Think About It
往往 is observational: it reports a pattern someone has noticed across many cases. Compare 经常 ('frequently,' just counts how often), 总是 ('always,' no exceptions), and 往往 ('typically,' a tendency that holds in most cases but allows exceptions). 往往 carries a hint of analysis — the speaker has stepped back and is generalizing. That's why it shows up so much in commentary and life-lesson writing.
Examples
成功的人往往很努力。
Chénggōng de rén wǎngwǎng hěn nǔlì.
Successful people often work very hard.
孩子们往往比大人更诚实。
Háizimen wǎngwǎng bǐ dàrén gèng chéngshí.
Children tend to be more honest than adults.
最好的机会往往出现在我们最忙的时候。
Zuì hǎo de jīhuì wǎngwǎng chūxiàn zài wǒmen zuì máng de shíhou.
The best opportunities often show up when we're busiest.
Common Mistake
Learners use 往往 for a specific past event ('he was often late yesterday'), but 往往 only works for general tendencies. For a single occasion, use 经常 in context, or simply a past-tense verb.
昨天他往往迟到。
他往往迟到。
Don't Confuse With
经常
经常 just counts frequency ('often'). 往往 adds the flavor of 'this is the pattern, in my experience.'
总是
总是 means 'always, every single time' — no exceptions. 往往 allows for exceptions but says the tendency holds.
通常
通常 means 'usually' and feels more neutral, like a default setting. 往往 sounds more analytical and observational.
Practice
下雨天我____不想出门。
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往往
好的产品____价格不便宜。
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往往
Arrange: 错误 / 往往 / 在 / 出 / 细节里
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错误往往出在细节里。
Translate: People tend to ignore the obvious.
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人们往往会忽略最明显的东西。
Write one sentence using 往往 about a tendency you've observed.
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周一早上路上往往特别堵，我都比平时早出门。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 往往 in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.