过不去

• Pinyin: guò bu qù
• Hanzi breakdown: 过 = 辶 + 咼 (to pass); 不 = negation marker; 去 = 土 (earth) + 厶 (private) — to leave, depart

Meaning

Cannot get through; to deliberately make things difficult for someone; to feel guilty or troubled about something.

Has three main senses: (1) literal — unable to pass a physical space; (2) interpersonal — deliberately making things hard for someone (跟某人过不去); (3) psychological — feeling troubled, guilty, or uneasy with oneself or others (心里过不去). A versatile colloquial expression.

Examples

1. 路被大树拦住了，我们的车根本过不去。 The road is blocked by a fallen tree, so our car can't get through at all.
2. 他总是挑剔下属的工作，同事们都觉得他故意跟大家过不去。 He's always nitpicking his subordinates' work, and his coworkers all feel like he's deliberately making things difficult for everyone.
3. 犯了这么大的错，他心里一直过不去，辗转难眠。 After making such a serious mistake, he still can't get over it, and he tosses and turns at night unable to sleep.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, interpersonal relations, emotions, obstacles

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你不必为那件事一直过不去，当时你已经尽力了。(You don't need to keep feeling troubled about that matter — you did your best at the time.)
• 她一直觉得他是故意跟她过不去，才处处刁难。(She always felt he was deliberately making things hard for her, which is why he kept creating difficulties.)

Don't Say

• 这条路过不去 — acceptable in casual speech, but in formal writing specify: 此路不通 or 无法通行

Origin & History

过 (to pass) + 不 (not) + 去 (to go) — literally 'cannot pass through/go over'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal