過 meaning and stroke order
Pass; to go across, to pass through
How to write 過, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 過
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cross
- to go over
- to pass (time)
- to celebrate (a holiday)
- to live
- to get along
- (experienced action marker)
How 過 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 咼 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 過
The walking radical 辶 means movement, and 咼 (guō) on top gives the sound. Picture someone walking past a pot-shaped 咼 on the road: they go past it, so 過 (guò) means to pass.
As a verb, 過 means to cross, pass time, or celebrate, as in 過年 (guònián, to celebrate the New Year). After a verb, an unstressed 過 (guo) marks that something has been experienced at least once. Example: 我去過北京。(Wǒ qùguo Běijīng.) I have been to Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 過 (guo, experience) with 了 (le, completion). 我吃過 means you have eaten it at some point in your life, while 我吃了 means you ate it this time. Another error is negating 過 with 不. The correct pattern is 沒 + verb + 過, as in 我沒去過 (wǒ méi qùguo).
Common words with 過
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不過 | bùguò | only; merely | HSK 2 |
| 過來 | guòlái | to come over; to manage | HSK 2 |
| 過去 | guòqù | (in the) past; former; previous; to go over; to pass by | HSK 2 |
| 通過 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) | HSK 2 |
| 經過 | jīngguò | to pass; to go through | HSK 2 |
| 超過 | chāoguò | to surpass; to exceed | HSK 2 |
| 難過 | nánguò | to feel sad; to feel unwell | HSK 2 |
| 見過 | jiànguo | HSK 2 | |
| 走過 | zǒuguò | to walk past; to pass by | HSK 2 |
| 過年 | guònián | to celebrate the Chinese New Year | HSK 2 |
| 過程 | guòchéng | course of events; process | HSK 3 |
| 度過 | dùguò | to pass; to spend (time) | HSK 4 |
| 過分 | guòfèn | excessive; undue; unduly; overly | HSK 4 |
| 只不過 | zhǐbùguò | only; merely; nothing but; no more than; it's just that ... | HSK 5 |
Questions about 過
How many strokes are in 過?
過 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 過 mean?
過 (guò) means pass; to go across, to pass through. A common word with it is 不过 (bùguò), meaning "only; merely".
How do you pronounce 過?
過 is pronounced guò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 過?
The radical of 過 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 過 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 過?
過 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 过, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I say I have never done something using 過?
Use 從來沒 + verb + 過, as in 我從來沒見過他 (wǒ cónglái méi jiànguo tā), I have never seen him. Keep 過 after the verb even in the negative.
What does 過 mean in 太過 or 過於?
In these words 過 means excessive or too much. 過於緊張 (guòyú jǐnzhāng) means overly nervous, so here 過 carries the idea of going past a proper limit.