过 (guo) — (aspect particle) indicates that an action has been experienced or happened at least once in the past
Definition
过 is the experiential aspect particle: it marks an action as having happened at least once before ('has done / have you ever…'). Attach it after the verb, before the object, and pair with 没 to negate (没去过, not *不过去).
particle
(aspect particle) indicates that an action has been experienced or happened at least once in the past
Easily confused
Examples
- 过。Wǒ qù guo tā jiā.I have been to his house.
- 过？Nǐ chī guo zhè ge shuǐ guǒ ma?Have you ever eaten this fruit?
- 过。Tā méi dú guo zhè běn shū.He hasn't read this book.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Grammar
Appears in
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