过境

• Pinyin: guò jìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 过 = to pass through; 境 = 土 (earth) + 竟 (to exhaust, reach the end) — the edge of a territory

Meaning

Transit; to pass through a country's territory without stopping as a final destination.

A formal and legal term used in immigration, customs, and international travel contexts. Refers to crossing through a jurisdiction's airspace, waters, or land en route to another destination. Common in diplomatic, logistics, and travel documents.

Examples

1. 她持过境签证在北京停留了七十二小时，随后飞往悉尼。 She used a transit visa to stay in Beijing for 72 hours before flying on to Sydney.
2. 该货轮在途中需要过境巴拿马运河，预计增加三天航程。 The cargo ship needs to transit the Panama Canal along the way, which is expected to add three days to the voyage.
3. 过境旅客须在指定区域等候，不得进入正式入境通道。 Transit passengers must wait in designated areas and may not enter the regular immigration lanes.

Usage Guide

Context: immigration, travel, logistics, diplomacy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 本次航班途经迪拜，旅客可申请过境免签停留资格。(This flight transits through Dubai — passengers may apply for transit visa-free stay.)
• 货物过境时须向海关申报相关信息，否则可能被扣押。(When goods transit, relevant information must be declared to customs, or they may be impounded.)

Don't Say

• 我们去过境了 — 过境 describes the act of transit, not a destination visited; say 我们在过境候机 or 我们是过境旅客

Origin & History

过 (to pass through) + 境 (border, territory, jurisdiction)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal