飞往
fēiwǎng · HSK 7
Go to
✈️ fly + toward: fei (fly) + wang (toward) = fly toward a destination
飞 means fly and 往 means toward or going to. Together they form go to, specifically by flying. Think of it as the verb pair fly-toward, like heading to a place by air.
飞 — pictograph of a bird in flight (wings + body)
飞 is a pictograph originally depicting a bird soaring with outstretched wings, with the upper stroke suggesting the head and the curved strokes representing wings and tail. The traditional form 飛 shows the wings more clearly; 飞 is the simplified version retaining just one wing-like element. Its core meaning 'to fly' has stayed stable throughout history.
往 — 彳 (step radical) + 主 (phonetic)
往 originally depicted a foot moving toward a place, with the 彳 radical signaling motion or walking. The right component 主 served mainly as a phonetic clue. Over time the meaning settled into 'to go (toward)' and, by extension, 'past' or 'previously'.