渡过 (dù guò) — to cross over (a river, stream, etc.); to get through (a difficult period), to weather (a crisis)

Definition

Literally 'ferry across' (渡过河), but used most often figuratively to mean getting safely through a hard period or crisis — pair with nouns like 难关/危机/困难时期.

verb
to cross over (a river, stream, etc.)to get through (a difficult period)to weather (a crisis)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 渡过。
    Wǒ men zhōng yú dù guò le nà tiáo hé.
    We finally crossed that river.
  • 渡过。
    Tā chéng gōng dì dù guò le jīng jì wēi jī.
    He successfully weathered the economic crisis.
  • ，渡过。
    Zài péng you de bāng zhù xià, tā dù guò le zuì kùn nan de shí qī.
    With her friends' help, she got through the most difficult period.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

渡dùcross water
过guòthrough

渡 (cross) is completed by 过 (through), as in crossing or weathering.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
度
度dù渡dù
Same sound today

渡 has 氵, water, beside 度, which gives the sound.

Open 渡 →

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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