过/過 guò — ever, have done before (experience particle)

Meanings

1. 1

   ever, have done before (experience particle)

   Placed after the verb to say that you have had an experience at some point: 我去过中国 "I have been to China". In this use it is unstressed and pronounced guo, and it is negated with 没, never 不.

   particle
2. 2

   to pass, to cross, to go over

   verb
3. 3

   (experienced action marker)

   (experienced action marker); to cross; to go over; to pass (time); to celebrate (a holiday); to live; to get along; excessively; too-

   particle

   Source readings: guò

Character breakdown

• 过/過

  guò (fourth tone, falling) guo (neutral tone)

  to cross, to pass by, to go through; to spend (time); to exceed; (unstressed guo) the experiential aspect marker

  6 strokes⿺辶寸Radical 辵

Example sentences

• 我去过中国。/我去過中國。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) qùguo (fourth tone, falling) Zhōngguó. (first tone, high and level)···

  I’ve been to China.

• 你吃过中国菜吗？/你吃過中國菜嗎？Nǐ (third tone, dipping) chīguo (first tone, high and level) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) cài (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)···

  Have you ever had Chinese food?

Common mistakes

• Not quite我不去过中国。

  Correct我没去过中国。

  过 always takes 没 as its negator, because it reports whether something has happened. 不 denies habits and intentions and cannot cancel an experience.

• Not quite我去了中国两次。

  Correct我去过中国两次。

  了 reports a completed event in a story you are telling; 过 says you have had the experience at some unspecified time. For "I have been twice", the experience marker is the right one.

Similar words

Words containing 过

• 过去/過去guòqù (fourth tone, falling)the past, formerly
• 通过/通過tōng (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)by means of
• 经过/經過jīngguò (first tone, high and level)to pass by, to go through (a place)
• 过来/過來guò (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising)to come over
• 不过/不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
• 超过/超過chāo (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)to surpass
• 过程/過程guòchéng (fourth tone, falling)process, course (of an event)
• 错过/錯過cuò (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to miss (train, opportunity etc)
• 只不过/只不過zhǐ (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) guò (fourth tone, falling)only
• 难过/難過nánguò (second tone, rising)sad, upset
• 度过/度過dù (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass
• 过分/過分guò (fourth tone, falling) fèn (fourth tone, falling)excessive
• 过度/過度guò (fourth tone, falling) dù (fourth tone, falling)excessive
• 路过/路過lù (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass by or through
• 过于/過於guò (fourth tone, falling) yú (second tone, rising)too much
• 穿过/穿過chuān (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass through
• 走过/走過zǒu (third tone, dipping) guò (fourth tone, falling)to walk past