guò: 过 - to pass, cross; (past experience); excessively

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• Summary: Learn the many uses of the versatile Chinese character 过 (guò). This essential word acts as a verb meaning “to pass” or “cross” (like crossing a street or celebrating a holiday), and as a crucial grammar particle to talk about past experiences (e.g., “I have been to China”). We'll break down the important difference between 过 (guò) and 了 (le), explore its cultural significance in celebrating festivals like 过年 (Guònián), and show you how to use it in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): guò
• Part of Speech: Verb, Aspect Particle, Adverb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: A multi-functional character meaning 'to pass/cross,' used to indicate past experiences, or to mean 'excessively.'
• In a Nutshell: The core idea of 过 (guò) is movement beyond a point. This can be a physical point (crossing a road), a point in time (celebrating a birthday, “passing” into a new year of age), a point in your life's experience (having done something before), or a point of social acceptability (being “too” loud or “excessively” kind). Understanding this central concept of “going past a boundary” is the key to mastering all its uses.

• 过 (guò): The simplified character is composed of the radical 辶 (chuò) on the bottom and left. This radical means “to walk” or “movement,” and it immediately gives the character a sense of motion, travel, and passing through. It's the same radical found in words like 送 (sòng - to send) and 进 (jìn - to enter). This “movement” component is the heart of 过 (guò)'s meaning, whether it's physically moving across a space or moving through time.

• The “Crossing Over” of Life's Milestones: In Chinese, you don't “have” a birthday or “celebrate” the New Year; you 过 (guò) them.
• 过年 (Guònián): “To pass the year.” This is far more profound than just “celebrating New Year's.” It signifies a collective journey, a “crossing over” a threshold from the old year into the new. It's a time of cleansing, renewal, and family reunion, with the action of “passing” being central to the entire festival's meaning.
• 过生日 (guò shēngrì): “To pass a birthday.” This phrasing emphasizes the passage of time and the crossing into another year of one's life. While an American might say, “I'm having a birthday party,” the Chinese expression focuses on the personal milestone of successfully passing through another year.
• The Value of Moderation: The adverbial use of 过 (guò) to mean “excessively” (e.g., in 过分 - guòfèn) subtly connects to the traditional cultural value of moderation and avoiding extremes (中庸 - zhōngyōng). Saying someone's actions are “过 (guò)” implies they have “gone past” the appropriate limit. A very common and polite way to deflect a compliment is to say 您过奖了 (nín guòjiǎng le), literally “You have over-praised me,” which perfectly demonstrates this sense of crossing a line of appropriateness.

过 (guò) is an extremely common character with four primary functions in daily conversation.

• 1. As a Verb: To Pass, Cross, or Spend (Time)
  • This is the most literal meaning. It's used for physical movement across something or for the passage of time.
  • *Examples:* 过马路 (guò mǎlù - to cross the street), 过桥 (guò qiáo - to cross a bridge), 过周末 (guò zhōumò - to spend the weekend).
• 2. As an Aspect Particle: Indicating Past Experience
  • This is one of the most important grammar points for beginners. Placing 过 (guò) after a verb indicates that the speaker has had the *experience* of doing that action at some unspecified time in the past.
  • *Structure:* `Subject + Verb + 过 (guò) + Object`
  • *Example:* 我吃过北京烤鸭。(Wǒ chī guo Běijīng kǎoyā.) - I have eaten Beijing roast duck before.
• 3. As a Result Complement: To Go Over/Past
  • When attached to another verb (like to go, to run, to fly), it indicates the result of moving past a location.
  • *Examples:* 走过去 (zǒu guò qù - to walk over there), 跑过去 (pǎo guò qù - to run over there).
• 4. As an Adverb: Excessively, Too
  • Placed before an adjective, 过 (guò) means “too” or “excessively.” This is often used in a slightly negative or critical sense.
  • *Examples:* 这个汤过咸了。(Zhège tāng guò xián le.) - This soup is too salty.

• Example 1:
• 过马路的时候一定要小心。
• Pinyin: Guò mǎlù de shíhòu yīdìng yào xiǎoxīn.
• English: You must be careful when crossing the street.
• Analysis: Here, 过 (guò) is used as a straightforward verb meaning “to cross.”
• Example 2:
• 你去过中国吗？
• Pinyin: Nǐ qù guo Zhōngguó ma?
• English: Have you ever been to China?
• Analysis: This is the classic use of 过 (guò) as a past experience particle. The question isn't “When did you go?” but “Do you have the experience of having gone?”
• Example 3:
• 我看过这部电影，但是忘了结局。
• Pinyin: Wǒ kàn guo zhè bù diànyǐng, dànshì wàng le jiéjú.
• English: I have seen this movie before, but I forgot the ending.
• Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates how 过 (guò) signifies a past experience that is disconnected from the present. The action of “watching” is complete and in the past.
• Example 4:
• 我们一家人在一起过年，非常热闹。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen yī jiā rén zài yīqǐ guònián, fēicháng rènào.
• English: My whole family spends the New Year together; it's very lively.
• Analysis: This shows the cultural use of 过 (guò) for celebrating or “passing” a major festival.
• Example 5:
• 时间过得真快！
• Pinyin: Shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài!
• English: Time passes so fast!
• Analysis: A very common set phrase where 过 (guò) means “to pass” in the context of time.
• Example 6:
• 您过奖了，我的中文还不太好。
• Pinyin: Nín guòjiǎng le, wǒ de Zhōngwén hái bù tài hǎo.
• English: You're flattering me (lit: you have over-praised), my Chinese is still not that good.
• Analysis: This demonstrates the adverbial meaning of “excessively” within the polite set phrase 过奖 (guòjiǎng).
• Example 7:
• 别担心，一切都会过去的。
• Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, yīqiè dōu huì guòqù de.
• English: Don't worry, everything will pass.
• Analysis: Here, 过去 (guòqù) acts as a result complement, meaning “to pass by” or “to be over.” It's used to talk about difficulties coming to an end.
• Example 8:
• 他从我面前走过去，一句话也没说。
• Pinyin: Tā cóng wǒ miànqián zǒu guòqù, yī jù huà yě méi shuō.
• English: He walked past me without saying a word.
• Analysis: 走过去 (zǒu guòqù) is a directional complement. 走 (zǒu) is the action (walk), and 过去 (guòqù) is the direction/result (over and away).
• Example 9:
• 我对花生过敏。
• Pinyin: Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn.
• English: I am allergic to peanuts.
• Analysis: 过敏 (guòmǐn) is a set vocabulary word. The 过 (guò) here implies an “excessive” or abnormal sensitivity.
• Example 10:
• 我从来没吃过这么好吃的东西！
• Pinyin: Wǒ cónglái méi chī guo zhème hǎochī de dōngxi!
• English: I have never eaten anything this delicious before!
• Analysis: This shows the negative form of the experience particle: `没(有) + Verb + 过`. It means to have *never* had the experience.

• The Ultimate Showdown: 过 (guò) vs. 了 (le)
• This is the most common point of confusion for learners. They are NOT interchangeable.
• 过 (guò): Indicates EXPERIENCE. The action happened at some unspecified time in the past and is not ongoing. It emphasizes that you *have the experience* in your life.
  • `我看过那本书。` (Wǒ kàn guo nà běn shū.) → “I have read that book before.” (I have this experience. Maybe last year, maybe ten years ago. It's not connected to the present.)
• 了 (le): Indicates COMPLETION. The action is finished, often with relevance to the present moment or as part of a sequence of events.
  • `我看了那本书。` (Wǒ kàn le nà běn shū.) → “I read that book.” (I completed the action. Maybe I just finished it, and now I can give it to you.)
• Common Mistake: Using 过 (guò) for a unique, completed action.
• Incorrect: `昨天我买过一件新衣服。` (Zuótiān wǒ mǎi guo yī jiàn xīn yīfu.)
• Correct: `昨天我买了一件新衣服。` (Zuótiān wǒ mǎi le yī jiàn xīn yīfu.)
• Why it's wrong: Buying a specific shirt yesterday is a completed action, not a general life “experience.” You should use 了 (le). You would only use 过 (guò) if you were saying something like, `我在那个商店买过衣服` (I've bought clothes at that store before).

• 了 (le) - The aspect particle for completion, the most important term to contrast with 过 (guò).
• 过去 (guòqù) - A noun meaning “the past.” Literally “gone past.”
• 经过 (jīngguò) - A verb meaning “to pass by” or a noun meaning “the process/course of events.”
• 难过 (nánguò) - An adjective meaning “sad” or “upset.” Literally “difficult to get through/pass.”
• 过分 (guòfèn) - An adjective meaning “excessive” or “over the top.”
• 过奖 (guòjiǎng) - A verb phrase meaning “to overpraise.” Used as a polite, humble response to a compliment.
• 过敏 (guòmǐn) - A verb meaning “to be allergic” or a noun for “allergy.”
• 过失 (guòshī) - A noun meaning “a fault, error, or mistake.” It implies a “transgression.”
• 度过 (dùguò) - A more formal verb for “to spend (time)” or “to pass (time).” E.g., `度过一个愉快的下午` (spend a pleasant afternoon).