过剩

• Pinyin: guò shèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 过 = to exceed; 剩 = 刀 + 乘 — what remains after cutting away what is needed

Meaning

Surplus; excess supply; overabundance — having more than is needed or can be absorbed.

Primarily an economic and industrial term referring to excess production capacity or supply exceeding demand. Also used in general contexts to describe any situation where an excess exists. Often appears in policy discussions about market regulation, industry restructuring, and resource allocation.

Examples

1. 全球钢铁产能过剩问题至今仍是国际贸易摩擦的根源之一。 Global steel overcapacity remains one of the root causes of international trade frictions.
2. 由于连年丰收，当地粮食出现过剩，价格持续下跌。 After years of bumper harvests, the region has a grain surplus, and prices have continued to fall.
3. 市场上同类产品严重过剩，导致企业之间陷入价格战。 Severe oversupply of similar products in the market has pushed companies into a price war.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, industry, policy, agriculture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府出台政策化解钢铁行业的产能过剩问题，推动企业兼并重组。(The government introduced policies to address excess capacity in the steel industry and promote mergers.)
• 劳动力过剩是许多发展中国家面临的结构性挑战。(Labour surplus is a structural challenge facing many developing countries.)

Don't Say

• 他精力过剩应该去运动 — while colloquially understood, in formal writing use 精力充沛 or 精力旺盛 for excess energy in a person

Origin & History

过 (to exceed, to go beyond) + 剩 (surplus, remainder)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal