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HSK 4

超过

to exceed; to surpass

verbneutral
超
chāo1st tone
过
guò4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
chāoguò
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
18
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 超过

超过 is written with 18 strokes (超: 12, 过: 6). The animation replays automatically.

What does 超过 mean?

超过 (chāoguò) is a verb meaning 'to exceed,' 'to surpass,' or 'to go beyond' a limit, quantity, or another person.

It is neutral in register and appears constantly in everyday, business, and written contexts — describing numbers ('exceed 100 people'), time ('over an hour'), speed limits, budgets, or one person overtaking another in a ranking or race. The character 超 already means 'to overtake / super,' and 过 adds the sense of passing beyond.

Two things differ from English: 超过 is a single verb, so you say 超过一百 ('exceed one hundred') without a preposition like 'over,' and it takes a direct object rather than needing 'than.' When comparing people, 超过 means to outdo or overtake them, close to English 'surpass,' but it can also literally mean physically passing a car on the road.

Character by character

超chāoto exceed; super; ultra
+
过guòto pass; to cross; to go beyond
=
超过

Memory hook: 超 (super) + 过 (pass) — to 'super-pass' a limit, i.e. go beyond it.

Example sentences

这个班超过三十个学生。

Zhège bān chāoguò sānshí ge xuésheng.

This class has more than thirty students.

neutral

别开太快，不要超过速度限制。

Bié kāi tài kuài, búyào chāoguò sùdù xiànzhì.

Don't drive too fast, don't go over the speed limit.

spoken

今年的销售额超过了去年。

Jīnnián de xiāoshòu'é chāoguò le qùnián.

This year's sales exceeded last year's.

written

他跑得很快，一下子就超过了我。

Tā pǎo de hěn kuài, yíxiàzi jiù chāoguò le wǒ.

He runs fast and overtook me in an instant.

spoken

Common phrases with 超过

超过一半chāoguò yíbànmore than half
超过限制chāoguò xiànzhìto exceed the limit
远远超过yuǎnyuǎn chāoguòto far exceed
超过预算chāoguò yùsuànto go over budget

Synonyms

超越chāoyuè

超越 is more abstract and formal — surpassing limits, transcending boundaries, or bettering a rival in an elevated sense. 超过 is the plain, everyday choice for exceeding a number or overtaking someone.

胜过shèngguò

胜过 means 'to be better than / to win over' and stresses superiority in quality. 超过 stresses going past a quantity or position, not necessarily being better.

Don't confuse 超过 with

经过jīngguò

经过 means 'to pass by / go through (a place or process).' 超过 means 'to exceed / overtake.' Passing a building is 经过; going faster than the speed limit is 超过。

过guò

过 alone marks completed experience or means 'to cross.' 超过 specifically adds the sense of going beyond a threshold.

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