过关
guòguān · HSK 7
pass a barrier
🚪✅ 过 (cross over) + 关 (gate/checkpoint) = cross the gate = clear the level, pass the test
关 is a mountain pass or fortified gate; getting 过 (across/through) it means you met the standard. Same idea as clearing a level in a game: 过关 = you got past the checkpoint.
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.
关 — door 门 + simplified 关 inside
关 is the simplified form of 關. The traditional character showed a gate (門) with a bolt or crossbar inside, depicting a barred door — hence 'to close' or 'shut'. Meaning later extended to 'pass' (a guarded gate), 'barrier', and figuratively 'concern' or 'connection'.