过 guò to cross
to cross; indicates a past experience; to pass
How to remember 过: 辶 road + 寸 inch = to cross. At the busy road, the grandmother shuffles forward inch by inch, waiting for a gap in the traffic to cross.
Component breakdown
过 = 辶 road + 寸 inch
- 辶 road
- 寸 inch
At the busy road, the grandmother shuffles forward inch by inch, waiting for a gap in the traffic to cross.
How it is used
- After a verb, marks that you HAVE EVER done something - 我去过北京 (wǒ qùguo Běijīng) I've been to Beijing, 吃过 (chīguo) have tried eating.
- Key trap: 过 marks experience, not a specific completed event - that's 了 (le). 我吃了 = I ate (just now); 我吃过 = I've eaten it before.
- Read guò it also means to pass/cross - 过马路 (guò mǎlù) cross the street, 过去 (guòqù) the past.
Words with 过
- 过去guòqùin the pastHSK 2
- 过年guòniánto celebrate the Chinese New YearHSK 2
- 过来guòláito come overHSK 2
- 经过jīngguòto passHSK 3
- 难过nánguòsadHSK 3
- 过节guòjiéto celebrate a festivalHSK 3
- 过去guòqù(in the) pastHSK 3
- 不过búguòbutHSK 4
- 通过tōngguòby means ofHSK 4
- 超过chāoguòsurpassHSK 4
- 过程guòchéngcourse of eventsHSK 4
- 路过lùguòto pass by or throughHSK 4
- 错过cuòguòto miss (train, opportunity etc)HSK 4
- 过于guòyúexcessivelyHSK 5
- 过分guòfènexcessiveHSK 5
- 过度guòdùexcessiveHSK 5
- 过敏guòmǐnallergicHSK 5
- 过期guòqīto be overdueHSK 5
- 穿过chuānguòto pass throughHSK 6
- 过后guòhòuafter the eventHSK 6
- 过时guòshíold-fashionedHSK 6
- 过渡guòdùto cross over (by ferry)HSK 6
- 透过tòuguòto pass throughHSK 6
- 放过fàngguòto let offHSK 7
- 走过场zǒuguòchǎngto go through the motionsHSK 7
- 越过yuèguòto cross overHSK 7
- 过不去guòbuqùto make life difficult forHSK 7
- 过关guòguānto cross a barrierHSK 7
- 过剩guòshèngto be excessiveHSK 7
- 过半guòbànover fifty percentHSK 7
- 过境guòjìngto pass through a country's territoryHSK 7
- 过失guòshīerrorHSK 7
- 过头guòtóuto overdo itHSK 7
- 过奖guòjiǎngto overpraiseHSK 7
- 过往guòwǎngto come and goHSK 7
- 过意不去guòyìbúqùto feel very apologeticHSK 7
- 过道guòdàopassagewayHSK 7
- 过量guòliàngexcessiveHSK 7
- 过错guòcuòmistakeHSK 7
- 过问guòwènto show an interest inHSK 7
Example sentences
- 他正在过马路。 Tā zhèngzài guò mǎlù.He's crossing the road.
- 我们在家里过周末。 Wǒmen zài jiāli guò zhōumò.We spend the weekends at home.
- 我去过北京。 Wǒ qùguò Běijīng.I've been to Beijing.
- 我每天经过这家店。 Wǒ měitiān jīngguò zhè jiā diàn.I pass by this shop every day.