过于
guòyū · HSK 5
too much
⚖️ 过 = cross/exceed + 于 = at/to → exceeding at, i.e. overly
过 carries the sense of going past a limit (as in 过分 'excessive'); 于 marks the target or degree. Together they form an adverb meaning 'excessively so' — done to a fault, beyond what is warranted.
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.