过 guò — (experienced action marker); to cross; to go over; to pass (time); to celebrate (a holiday); to live
我去过北京两次。Wǒ qù guò Běi jīng liǎng cì.I have been to Beijing twice.
Common words: 不过 (bù guò)、通过 (tōng guò)、过去 (guò qù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to cross"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to cross", including 过 (guò), 渡 (dù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to cross" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 过 (guò), 渡 (dù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span guò, dù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 过 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 过 guò(experienced action marker); to cross; to go over; to pass (time); to celebrate (a holiday); to liveUseful words: 不过, 通过
- 渡 dùto cross; to pass through; to ferryUseful words: 过渡, 渡过
Common words for these 2 "to cross" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 过 (guò) — so "to cross" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
不过bù guòonly; merely; no more than; but通过tōng guòto pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation)过去guò qù(in the) past; former; previous; to go over过渡guò dùto cross over (by ferry); transition; interim; caretaker (administration)渡过dù guòto cross over; to pass through渡头dù tóuferry crossing point
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to cross".
渡 dù — to cross; to pass through; to ferry
古时候，人们靠小船渡过这条河。Gǔ shí hou, rén men kào xiǎo chuán dù guò zhè tiáo hé.In ancient times, people crossed this river by small boat.
Common words: 过渡 (guò dù)、渡过 (dù guò)、渡头 (dù tóu)
All 2 characters
Open 过、渡 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.