往常 wǎngcháng usual
usual; customary
How to remember 往常: 往 towards + 常 often = usual.
Characters
How it is used
- As usual / in normal times, used as a point of comparison - 他不像往常那样活泼 (tā bú xiàng wǎngcháng nàyàng huópō) he's not as lively as usual.
- Refers to how things habitually were before, typically to contrast with a changed present.
- Near-synonym 平常 (píngcháng, ordinarily) is more general; 往常 points back to past routine, often 'unlike before.'
Example sentences
- 我和往常一样起得很早。 Wǒ hé wǎngcháng yīyàng qǐ de hěnzǎo.I got up early as usual.
- 在冬天，太阳下山比往常更早。 Zài dōngtiān, tàiyáng xiàshān bǐ wǎngcháng gèng zǎo.The sun sets earlier in the winter.
- 今天相比往常，稍暖一些。 Jīntiān xiāngbǐ wǎngcháng, shāo nuǎn yīxiē.Today's a bit warmer than usual.