Meaning of 过于
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- excessively; too
How to use 过于
过于 is a fairly formal adverb placed before adjectives or verbs, often with a slightly critical tone. It appears in writing, news, and careful speech more than casual chat. Example: 你不要过于担心。(Nǐ bú yào guòyú dānxīn.) Don't worry too much.
过 (guò) means to pass or go beyond, and 于 (yú) is a formal word like "than" or "in". Together 过于 is going past the right amount, so it means "too" or "excessively".
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 过于 in casual everyday sentences where 太 (tài) sounds more natural, such as 这个太贵了 rather than 这个过于贵. Also, unlike 太...了, 过于 does not take 了 at the end for emphasis.
过于 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
过 guò · to cross · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
于 yú · to go · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 过于.
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 过来 | guòlái | to come over; to manage |
| 过去 | guòqù | (in the) past; former; previous; to go over; to pass by |
| 通过 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass; to go through |
| 超过 | chāoguò | to surpass; to exceed |
| 难过 | nánguò | to feel sad; to feel unwell |
| 见过 | jiànguo | |
| 等于 | děngyú | to equal; to be tantamount to |
| 走过 | zǒuguò | to walk past; to pass by |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate the Chinese New Year |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end |
Questions about 过于
What does 过于 mean?
过于 (guòyú) means "excessively; too" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 过于?
过于 is made of 2 characters: 过 (6 strokes), 于 (3 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 过于 an HSK word?
Yes. 过于 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 过于 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 过于 is written 過於.
What is the difference between 过于 and 太?
Both mean "too", but 太 (tài) is everyday and spoken, while 过于 is more formal and written. 太 can also express praise, as in 太好了, but 过于 almost always suggests something is excessive in a negative way.
Can 过于 be followed by a one-syllable adjective?
It usually sounds better before two-syllable words, such as 过于紧张 (guòyú jǐnzhāng, too nervous) or 过于复杂 (guòyú fùzá, too complicated). With single-syllable adjectives, speakers usually choose 太 instead.