往往

往往

1. usually; generally; often; tend to

   往往如此  ―  wǎngwǎng rúcǐ  ―  to be often the case

   • 傳聞與暹人相攻，皆驅百姓使戰，往往亦别無智略謀畫。
     传闻与暹人相攻，皆驱百姓使战，往往亦别无智略谋画。

     From: c. 1300, 周達觀 / 周达观 (Zhou Daguan), 《真臘風土記 / 真腊风土记》 (The Customs of Cambodia), translation by Peter Harris

     Chuánwén yǔ Xiān rén xiàng gōng, jiē qū bǎixìng shǐ zhàn, wǎngwǎng yì bié wú zhìlüè móuhuà.

     I have heard reports that when the Siamese attacked, all the ordinary people were ordered out to do battle, often with no good strategy or preparation.

   • 我國經典，未經整理，讀起來特別難，一般人往往望而生畏，結果是敬而遠之。
     我国经典，未经整理，读起来特别难，一般人往往望而生畏，结果是敬而远之。

     From: 1942, 朱自清 (Zhu Ziqing), 經典常談

     Wǒguó jīngdiǎn, wèijīng zhěnglǐ, dú qǐlái tèbié nán, yībānrén wǎngwǎng wàng'érshēngwèi, jiéguǒ shì jìng'éryuǎnzhī.

     Chinese classics are difficult to read uncollated. Ordinary people are often terrified by the sight of them, and prefer to remain at a respectful distance.

2. (Classical) everywhere

   • 旦日，卒中往往語，皆指目陳勝。
     旦日，卒中往往语，皆指目陈胜。

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Dànrì, zú zhōng wǎngwǎng yǔ, jiē zhǐmù Chén Shèng.

     The next day, everywhere in the infantry, soldiers were talking about the event, and were pointing and looking at Chen Sheng.

Similar to 常常 (chángcháng), but unlike it:

• Refers to something regularly occurring ("usually") rather than merely frequent ("often"), habitual routine, past events, but not future.
• Needs a context with some condition/circumstance.
• Can't be directly negated. Instead, the verb following it should be negated: 往往不/沒+V.
• Can't be used in imperatives like below to express a suggestion:

  你應該常常…／你应该常常…  ―  nǐ yìnggāi chángcháng...  ―  You should more often ...

• (often):

• (everywhere):

• “往往”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.