When combined, `过 (guò)` + `去 (qù)` creates a powerful and intuitive image: “to pass and go away.” This perfectly captures the meaning of something becoming part of “the past” or the action of physically “going over” to a location away from you.
While “the past” is a universal concept, the Chinese phrase `过去` is often tied to a deep cultural emphasis on history and continuity. There is a strong belief in learning from the `过去` to guide the present and future, encapsulated in the idiom `以史为鉴 (yǐ shǐ wéi jiàn)`, which means “to use history as a mirror.” In contrast to some Western tendencies to “not dwell on the past” or to prioritize a clean slate, traditional Chinese culture often views a person's `过去`—their family history, their past deeds, their experiences—as an integral and defining part of their identity. Forgetting the `过去`, whether personal or national, can be seen as a form of irresponsibility. This doesn't mean being trapped by it, but rather respecting it as a source of wisdom, lessons, and roots. When someone talks about their `过去`, they are often sharing a core part of who they are.
`过去` is an everyday word used in multiple contexts.
This is its most common usage. It refers to any time before the present moment.
Here, `过去` is attached to another verb to show the direction of an action—away from the speaker.
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