Comparing "changchang" and "wangwang"

If something happens a lot,we say that it is "often",which in Chinese, the words are "常常" (chángcháng) and "往往" (wǎngwǎng). However, they are used in different ways and different places, so this article will help you distinguish when and where to use them.

陈述句中的区别

"常常" simply means something happens frequently and it's not necessarily regularly,也不受条件限制。 “往往”多表示在某种条件下通常会怎样或很可能会怎样，sort of like "tend to", 是对某种有规律性的情况的结论或判断，跟“时间间隔长短”无关，这一点跟“常常”很不一样。用“往往”的时候，句子本身一般要包含这种情况或行为发生的条件。如“商场往往周末的时候比较热闹。”

Structure

Subj. + 常常 + Verb

Subj. + 往往 + Verb

Examples

• 他 常常 迟到。He often gets late.
• 女人 往往 比 男人 长寿。 Women usually live longer than man.
• 他们 结婚 已经 快 三十 年 了，还是常常 吵架。They've been married for almost 30 years while they still fight a lot.
• 孩子 不 喜欢 上学 往往 是 因为 作业 太 多。 Why children don't like to go to school is usually because there are too much homework.
• 在香港，有钱人 往往 比较 迷信。In Hong Kong, rich people are usually more superstitious.

“常常”可以用表示一些主观的想法、愿望，也可以用在将来的情况；“往往”只能一般用在过去。

Examples

• 我 希望 以后 咱们 可以 常常 见面。I hope that we could meet more often.
• 就算 分手 了，我们 还是 可以 常常 联系。Even though we are breaking up, we could still call from time to time.
• 回 美国 以后，你 要 常常 给 我 写 信。You should often email me after you go back to the United States.
• 等 我 的 工作 不 那么 忙 了，我 就 可以常常陪 孩子 玩 了。I'll be able to spend more time with my kids when I'm not that busy at work.
• 我 爸爸 说，他 退休 以后 会常常 带 妈妈 去 旅行。My father said that he would travel more with my mother after he retires.

语用的区别

“常常”还可以用于祈使句，多表示建议，主语若是第二人称，一般可省略。“往往”不能这样用。

Structure

(Subject)要/得/应该/不要/别 + 常常 + Verb

Examples

• 我知道你很忙，但 你还是 要常常回家 看看 爸妈。I know that you've been busy but you still need to see your parents from time to time.
• 不要常常吃 辣，对 皮肤 不好。Better not eat spicy food too often.It's not good for your skin.
• 你 能 不 能 不要常常说 脏 话?Would you please stop saying swear words so much?
• 偶尔 抱怨 一下 是 可以 的，但 不要 常常 抱怨。It's totally fine to make some complain about your life once in a while but it's not if you do it everyday.
• 作为 老板，你得常常跟 你的 员工 去 沟通，倾听 他们 的 声音。As a boss,you need to talk to your staff a lot so their voice could be heard.

常常”在肯定句中经常可以省略为“常”，但“往往”不能省略。

Examples

• 有 时间 就常 回家 看看。
• 有空常 来 玩。Come visit more if you're not busy.
• 我 周末 常 去 这 家 咖啡馆。I often go to that cafe on weekends.
• 中国 人 常说 “随便”。Chinese people often say "Whatever".

否定形式

“常常”的否定形式是“不常”，表示“很少”。“往往”没有否定形式“不往往”，但是“往往”也可以出现在否定句中，常见的是“往往不/没”。

Subj. + 不常 + Verb

Subj. + 往往 + 不 / 没 + Verb

Examples

• 我 不常 在 外面 吃饭。I don't go out for dinner a lot.
• 我 老板 不常 来公司。My boss doesn't come to the office a lot.
• 我们 是 很好 的 朋友，但是 我们不常见面。We're good friends, but we don't see each other a lot.
• 有钱 人 往往 很 难 找到 真正 喜欢 自己 的 人。It's usually very hard for rich people to find someone who truly love them.
• 私立 学校 往往 比较 贵。Comparatively, private schools are usually expensive.
• 下雨天 往往 不 太 好 打车。It's usually not very easy to get a taxi in rainy days.

疑问句的区别

“常”或者“常常”可以用于疑问句，“往往”不能用于疑问句。

Examples

• 你们常常 来这家店吃火锅吗？Do you guys come here a lot for hotpot?
• 你常 去 附近 的 公园 散步 吗？Do you often take a walk in the park nearby?
• 为什么 春秋航空 的 飞机常常晚点？Why exactly do the flights of Spring Airline often get late?
• 你现在 工作 没有 以前 那么 忙了，还不常跟 朋友 出去 玩玩？Why not hang out more with your friends since you don't work that much as you did before?
• 他们不是会员，怎么可能常常得到这么高的折扣？How possibly could they get such a big discount without a membership?