过手 (guò shǒu) — to handle (money, goods, etc.); to process

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning to handle or pass through (money, goods, documents) — to take in and pass on. Common in business and accounting contexts.

verb
to handle (money, goods, etc.)to process

Examples

  • 过手，。
    Zhè bǐ xiàn jīn yóu tā guò shǒu, bú huì yǒu wèn tí.
    This cash will be handled by him; there won't be any problem.
  • ，。
    Nà pī huò wù yǐ jīng guò le yí cì shǒu, yīng gāi méi wèn tí.
    That batch of goods has already been handled once; it should be fine.
  • 过手。
    Suǒ yǒu dān jù dōu jīng guò tā guò shǒu cái néng fù kuǎn.
    All documents must go through his hands before payment can be made.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

过guòpass
手shǒuhand

过手 combines 过 'pass' and 手 'hand' for money or goods passing through someone's hands.

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 →

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

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.