过度 (guò dù) — excessive; too much; beyond the proper limit | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

过度 (as an adjective, often before a noun or as a verb-object phrase) is more formal/written than 过分. 过分 is the everyday spoken word; 过度 sounds more clinical, like 'excessive' in formal writing.

adjective

excessivetoo muchbeyond the proper limit

Easily confused

过渡guò dùlook-aliketo transition

Examples

。
Guò dù láo lèi huì yǐng xiǎng shēn tǐ jiàn kāng.
Excessive fatigue can affect your physical health.
。
Bú yào guò dù shǐ yòng shǒu jī.
Don't use your phone excessively.
。
Tā yīn wèi guò dù xiāo fèi ér qiàn le hěn duō qián.
He owes a lot of money because of excessive spending.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

度dùdegree

过 means to exceed, and 度 names the limit or degree that is surpassed.

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.

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.

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

又又yòuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Quantity & Amount 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.