越过
yuè guò · HSK 7
to cross over
🚧🏃 越 (cross over) + 过 (pass/go) = to cross over and pass beyond an obstacle
越 carries the sense of going beyond a limit; 过 means to pass or go through. Together 越过 = to clear and get past something — a wall, a hurdle, a distance, or a difficulty.
越 — 走 (run) + 戉 (axe, phonetic)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 走 ('to run, go') gives the meaning of crossing or passing over, while 戉 (an ancient axe) supplies the sound. From 'to stride across' it extended to 'exceed, surpass,' and was later borrowed as the name of the ancient Yue state and people in southern China.
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.