过
guò · HSK 1
to cross
guò marks completed aspect — verb + 过 = have done it before
过 (guò) attaches to a verb to mark experiential aspect: the action has been experienced at least once. 我去过北京 = I have been to Beijing. Distinct from 了 which marks completion of a specific event.
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.