wong5往

Jyutpingwong5

Yalewóhng

語素Very common

Definition

Past; previous; in the past.

writtentime

How it's used

Functions primarily as a morpheme in formal or literary compounds rather than as a standalone word in everyday speech. While it carries the meaning of past or previous, it is rarely used in isolation to describe time. Most speakers prefer using 以前 or 過往 when referring to the past in casual conversation.

Examples

wong5往si6事m4唔hou2好zoi3再tai4提laa1啦。

Don't bring up the past anymore.

nei5你wong5往jat6日hai6係mai6咪zyu6住hai2喺nei1呢dou6度㗎？

Did you used to live here in the past?

Common phrases

wong5往si6事

past events

wong5往jat6日

days gone by

Common mistake

Learners often try to use it as a preposition meaning to, like in Mandarin, but in Cantonese, it is almost exclusively restricted to time-related compounds.