往【wǎng】

往 + a direction goes before a verb of movement and says which way the movement goes. It's the everyday word for giving directions.

往 also takes a place, or 这边 and 那边.

Before the verb

English puts the direction after the verb: "turn left", "go back". 往 + direction comes first.

• × 拐往左 → 往左拐

On signs and timetables

A few verbs take 往 after them, followed by a destination: 开往, 飞往, 寄往. They turn up on trains, at airports and in announcements.

往 or 向

往 gives direction and nothing else. Aiming an action at a person – smiling at them, learning from them – takes 向 or 对.

• × 她往我笑了笑 → 她向我笑了笑