Expressing "through" with "jingguo"

When 经过 (jīngguò) is used as a verb, it means "to pass by" or "to pass through." It's like saying "I passed through downtown" or "I passed by the shop." 经过 can be also used as a preposition to mean "to experience something" or "going through a time."

Used as a Verb

Examples

• 我 每天 上班 都 经过 这里 。Wǒ měi tiān shàngbān dōu jīngguò zhèlǐ.I pass by this place every day on the way to work.
• 我 坐 火车 回 老家 常常 经过 这个 城市 。Wǒ zuò huǒchē huí lǎojiā chángcháng jīngguò zhège chéngshì.I usually pass by this city when I take the train back to my hometown.
• 你 经过 我 家 门口 的 时候 叫 我 一下 。Nǐ jīngguò wǒ jiā ménkǒu de shíhou jiào wǒ yīxià.Call me when you pass by my door.
• 她 经过 这个 咖啡店 的 时候 就 会 想到 他 。Tā jīngguò zhège kāfēidiàn de shíhou jiù huì xiǎngdào tā.She thinks about him when she walks past this cafe.

Used as a Preposition

Structure

As a preposition, 经过 is used to emphasize the process of that experience. If it is talking about "going through a time," it is usually talking about the past.

经过 + Event / Time ，⋯⋯

Examples

• 经过 自己 的 努力 ，她 考上 了 北京 大学 。Jīngguò zìjǐ de nǔlì, tā kǎoshàng le Běijīng dàxué.After all of her hard work, she was admitted into Peking University.
• 经过 两 个 月 的 准备 ，他 顺利 地 通过 了 这 次 面试 。Jīngguò liǎng gè yuè de zhǔnbèi, tā shùnlì de tōngguò le zhè cì miànshì.After two months of preparation, he successfully passed the job interview.
• 经过 这 几 年 的 发展 ，这个 城市 发生 了 很 大 变化 。Jīngguò zhè jǐ nián de fāzhǎn , zhège chéngshì fāshēng le hěn dà biànhuà.After the last few years of development, this city has changed a lot.
• 经过 一 个 星期 的 调查 ，警察 认为 他 没有 罪 。Jīngguò yī gè xīngqī de diàochá, jǐngchá rènwéi tā méiyǒu zuì.After one week of investigation, the police believes that he's innocent.

Used as Noun

As a noun, 经过 refers to the process of something.

Examples

• 谁 都 不 知道 事情 的 经过 。Shéi dōu bù zhīdào shìqing de jīngguò.No one knows the actual course of this incident.
• 请 你 说说 他们 车祸 的 经过 。Qǐng nǐ shuōshuo chēhuò de jīngguò.Please tell us the whole story about this car accident.

See also

• Expressing "through" with "tongguo"