通过
tōngguò · HSK 2
pass
🎟️ 通 = pass through + 过 = cross over; both mean 'go through'
通过 stacks two 'pass-through' verbs: 通 (unobstructed passage) + 过 (to cross/pass). Together they mean to get through something — a law, an exam, or a doorway — by way of it.
通 — 辵 (辶) walk + 甬 yǒng (phonetic)
通 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 (chuò) component means 'walk' or 'movement', giving the meaning of going through or passing. 甬 (yǒng), originally depicting a hanging bell or a path, supplies the sound. Together they convey 'to pass through, communicate, connect'.
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.