过来人 (guò lái rén) — someone who has been through a particular exper…

Definition

A person who has already lived through a particular experience — used to justify giving advice or insight because 'they've been there'.

noun

someone who has been through a particular experience (and thus can offer insight or advice)

过来人，。
Tā shì guò lái rén, nǐ kě yǐ wèn wèn tā.
He has been through it, you can ask him.
过来人，。
Zuò wéi guò lái rén, wǒ quàn nǐ bú yào zhè yàng zuò.
As someone who has been through it, I advise you not to do this.
过来人。
Zhǐ yǒu guò lái rén cái zhī dào qí zhōng de xīn kǔ.
Only someone who has been through it knows the hardship.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

过来have been through

过guòpass through来láicome

补充Verb + complement

过来 suggests having come through, 人 is a person; one who has been through an experience.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Appears in