流过 (liú guō) — to flow past; to traverse (by flowing)

Definition

流过 describes fluid movement past or through a point — water, tears, or metaphorically time. Used with the location marked by 从/旁边/脸颊 rather than the destination (经过).

verb
to flow pastto traverse (by flowing)

Examples

  • 流过。
    Hé shuǐ cóng cūn zi páng biān liú guō.
    The river flows past the village.
  • 流过。
    Tā de yǎn lèi liú guō liǎn jiá.
    His tears flowed down his cheeks.
  • 流过，。
    Shí jiān liú guō, wǒ men jiàn jiàn zhǎng dà.
    Time flows by, and we gradually grow up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

流liúflow
过guòpass

流 means flow and 过 means pass, giving the sense of flowing past.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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