经过
to pass through; via; experience
jīngguò
What does 经过 mean?
经过 (jīngguò) has three closely related uses. As a verb, it means 'to pass by / through' a place — 我经过你家 (I passed by your house). As a preposition / connector, it means 'through (a process), after going through' — 经过三年的学习 (after three years of study). As a noun, it means 'the course of events / what happened' — 事情的经过 (the course of the matter).
The thread linking all three is 'going through' something, whether a physical location, a time period, or a process. English speakers often want to use 通过 (tōngguò) instead, but 通过 emphasizes passing successfully or by means of (通过考试 = pass an exam), while 经过 emphasizes the going-through itself. For a route ('the bus goes via Shanghai'), 经过 is the right word.
Note: Neutral in both speech and writing. The 'after going through' usage (经过⋯⋯之后) is slightly more written/formal than its spoken equivalents.
Character breakdown
to pass through; classic
to cross; pass; over
Memory hook: Both characters mean 'pass / go through' — together they double down on the idea of crossing through a place or process.
Example sentences
这辆公交车经过我家。
Zhè liàng gōngjiāochē jīngguò wǒ jiā.
This bus passes by my house.
neutral
经过努力，他终于成功了。
Jīngguò nǔlì, tā zhōngyú chénggōng le.
Through hard work, he finally succeeded.
written
你能告诉我事情的经过吗？
Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ shìqing de jīngguò ma?
Can you tell me the whole story / what happened?
neutral
我每天上班都经过这家咖啡店。
Wǒ měitiān shàngbān dōu jīngguò zhè jiā kāfēidiàn.
I pass by this cafe every day on my way to work.
spoken
经过三年的学习，她的中文很好了。
Jīngguò sān nián de xuéxí, tā de Zhōngwén hěn hǎo le.
After three years of study, her Chinese is very good now.
neutral
Common phrases with 经过
Synonyms
通过 emphasizes passing SUCCESSFULLY (通过考试 = pass a test) or means 'by means of' (通过电话 = by phone). 经过 emphasizes the going-through itself, whether a place, time, or process — without the success connotation.
路过 means 'to pass by (incidentally on one's way)' — you weren't trying to be there. 经过 is more neutral about route; 路过 stresses 'just happened to be passing.'
穿过 means 'to go through / cross through' (a park, a crowd) — passes ACROSS an interior. 经过
Don't confuse 经过 with
FAQ
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