过于 (guò yú) — too, excessively, over- (used before multi-char…

Definition

Formal written adverb meaning 'excessively, too' before adjectives or verbs (过于依赖, 过于严格). Stronger and more bookish than the everyday 太.

adverb

tooexcessivelyover- (used before multi-character adjectives or verbs)

过于。
Bú yào guò yú yī lài bié rén.
Don't rely too much on others.
过于，。
Tā guò yú qiān xū le, qí shí tā hěn yōu xiù.
He's being too modest; in fact, he's excellent.
过于，。
Nǐ guò yú yán gé le, hái zi xū yào gǔ lì.
You're too strict; children need encouragement.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

过guòexcessively

于yúcompleting sense

过 carries the meaning of excess, and 于 completes the idea of being too much.

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Appears in