过去时 (guò qù shí) — (grammar) past tense

Definition

A grammar term meaning 'past tense' — used to talk about completed actions, typically in languages like English or French. Contrast with 现在时 (present) and 将来时 (future).

noun
(grammar) past tense

Examples

  • 过去时-ed。
    Yīng yǔ de guò qù shí yào zài dòng cí hòu miàn jiā -ed.
    In English, to form the past tense you add -ed after the verb.
  • 过去时。
    Zhè ge jù zi de dòng cí yīng gāi yòng guò qù shí.
    The verb in this sentence should be in the past tense.
  • 过去时，。
    Fǎ yǔ hé yīng yǔ dōu yǒu guò qù shí, dàn hàn yǔ méi yǒu.
    French and English both have a past tense, but Chinese doesn't.

Origin

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.

过去gone by
过guòpass去qùgo
补充Verb + complement
时shítime/tense

“过去” means gone by, and “时” means time or tense, so the word names the past tense.

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.

Open 过 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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 時; 时 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun; day
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī時shí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 時 pairs 日 (sun/day) with 之 as the part that gives the sound; the simplified 时 is not the form described.

Open 时 →

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