The kanji 往 primarily conveys the core meaning of "to go," "to proceed," or "to travel." It emphasizes the act of moving from one place to another, often with a sense of direction or journey. It implies a sense of movement or a change in location.

・On-yomi (音読み): オウ (ō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): 往 (only used in compound words, not as a single word)

⚫︎ 往復 (おうふく) Translation: Round trip; going and returning. ⚫︎ 往診 (おうしん) Translation: House call; visiting a patient. ⚫︎ 往生 (おうじょう) Translation: (Buddhist term) Entering paradise; passing away.

The kanji 往 is a pictophonetic compound. The left side is 彳 (ぎょうにんべん gyōninben), which is a radical that signifies "walking" or "movement." The right side is 王 (おう ō), which means "king" or "ruler." Thus, 往 initially implied a king's movement, and then expanded to the more general meaning of "to go" or "to proceed". The combination visually represents the idea of traveling or moving under the king's authority or direction. It signifies the idea of someone moving away from a point, as shown by the radical 彳, and towards somewhere the destination.