莫过于
mòguòyū · HSK 7
nothing is more...than
🏆 莫 = none + 过于 = exceeds: literally none exceeds, so nothing tops it
莫 means none or no one, and 过于 means to exceed or go beyond. Put together, none exceeds, which is how Chinese says nothing is more X than. The thing that follows is the unbeaten champion.
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.
于 — two horizontal strokes 二 + vertical hook 亅
于 originated as a pictograph of breath or sound flowing outward, depicting exhalation through a passage. In oracle bone script it resembled a curved line showing motion or extension. Over time it became a grammatical preposition meaning 'at,' 'in,' or 'to,' losing its original concrete sense.