过去
past; to go over; to pass by
guòqù
What does 过去 mean?
过去 (guòqù) is a two-faced word that English speakers have to keep separate. As a noun it means 'the past' — what already happened, in contrast to 现在 (now) and 将来 (future): 在过去 means 'in the past.' As a verb (often pronounced more lightly, guòqu) it means 'to go over,' 'to pass by,' or 'to pass away' — physical motion away from the speaker, the opposite of 过来 (come over here).
Two things trip up learners: the verb sense rarely takes 了 directly because directional complements have their own aspect logic, and the noun 过去 doesn't take 的 before a noun (you say 过去的事 'past events' with 的, but 过去经验 'past experience' often drops it in compounds). Read context for which meaning is active.
Character breakdown
to pass; to cross; past (aspect)
to go; away (from speaker)
Memory hook: 过 = pass, 去 = go away. Together: 'gone-past' — what has passed and gone, or to physically pass over.
Example sentences
过去的事就不要再想了。
Guòqù de shì jiù bú yào zài xiǎng le.
Don't keep dwelling on what's already past.
spoken
在过去的十年里，这个城市变化很大。
Zài guòqù de shí nián lǐ, zhè ge chéngshì biànhuà hěn dà.
Over the past ten years, this city has changed a lot.
neutral
你走过去就能看到那家店。
Nǐ zǒu guòqu jiù néng kàndào nà jiā diàn.
Walk over there and you'll see the shop.
spoken
过去我不喜欢喝咖啡，现在很喜欢。
Guòqù wǒ bù xǐhuan hē kāfēi, xiànzài hěn xǐhuan.
In the past I didn't like coffee, but now I love it.
neutral
Common phrases with 过去
Synonyms
Both mean 'before / in the past,' but 以前 is more relative ('before some reference point' — 三天以前 'three days ago') while 过去 is more absolute ('the past' as a span). Say 在过去 for 'in the past in general,' but 三年以前 for 'three years ago.'
从前 leans more narrative / storybook ('once upon a time...,' 'long ago'). 过去 is neutral; 从前 is mildly literary or nostalgic.
Don't confuse 过去 with
过去 = motion away from speaker (go over there); 过来 = motion toward speaker (come over here). Same first character, opposite direction.
过去 = the past (noun) or pass over (verb); 经过 = to pass through (a place / experience) or 'via.' 经过 always implies traversing something specific; 过去 is more general.