Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 通过 AND 经过
The term 通过 (tōng guò) and 经过 (jīng guò) are both common phrases to express what experiences or times one went “through.”
The two words can sometimes be used interchangeably.
However, there are still a few differences between them.
HOW TO USE 经过
经过 as a verb
When 经过 (jīng guò) is used as a verb, it means “to pass by” or “to pass through.”
It’s for saying things like, “I passed through downtown” or “I passed by the shop.”
博物馆就在前面，经过一个路口就到了。
You will arrive at the museum after passing an intersection.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我每天都经过这个车站。 | wǒ měi tiān dū jīng guò zhè gè chē zhàn | I pass by this station every day. |
| 每次经过花店都能闻到花香。 | měi cì jīng guò huā diàn dōu néng wén dào huā xiāng | Every time I pass by the flower shop, I can smell the fragrance of flowers. |
| 去公司的路上要经过一个公园。 | qù gōng sī de lù shàng yào jīng guò yí gè gōng yuán | On the way to the company, we pass through a park. |
| 你经过我家门口的时候叫我一下 。 | nǐ jīng guò wǒ jiā mén kǒu de shí hòu jiào wǒ yī xià | Call me when you pass by my door. |
| 这条航线经过印度洋。 | zhè tiáo háng xiàn jīng guò yìn dù yáng | This route passes through the Indian Ocean. |
经过 as a preposition
As a preposition, “经过 (jīng guò)” means something like “through” (or “after going through“), and it puts focus on the process of that experience.
PATTERN
经过 + Event / Time ，……
经过几年的时间，这座城市发生了许多变化。
Over the course of several years, many changes have taken place in the city.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 经过一个星期的会议，我们终于达成了共识。 | jīng guò yí gè xīng qī de huì yì , wǒ men zhōng yú dá chéng le gòng shí | After a week of meetings, we finally reached a consensus. |
| 经过这次失败，我获得了宝贵的经验。 | jīng guò zhè cì shī bài , wǒ huò dé le bǎo guì de jīng yàn | After this failure, I gained valuable experience. |
| 经过两天的休息，我感到很有活力。 | jīng guò liǎng tiān de xiū xī , wǒ gǎn dào hěn yǒu huó lì | After two days of rest, I feel energized. |
| 经过一个学期的学习，他更加明确了目标。 | jīng guò yí gè xué qī de xué xí , tā gèng jiā míng què le mù biāo | After a semester of study, he has a clearer goal. |
HOW TO USE 通过
通过 as a verb
When “通过 (tōng guò)” is used as a verb, it indicates “to go through” a certain object, as in “to pass through some place from one side to another.”
从我家到学校要通过两座桥。
There are two bridges to pass from my house to school.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 这是一条步行街，只有行人可以通过。 | zhè shì yī tiáo bù xíng jiē , zhǐ yǒu xíng rén kě yǐ tōng guò | This is a pedestrian street, only pedestrians can pass. |
| 我们要通过一条小河才能到达目的地。 | wǒ men yào tōng guò yī tiáo xiǎo hé cái néng dào dá mù dì dì | We have to cross a small river to reach our destination. |
| 通过那扇红色的大门，右转就到了。 | tōng guò nà shàn hóng sè de dà mén , yòu zhuǎn jiù dào le | Go through the red door, turn right and you are there. |
As a verb, 通过 (tōng guò) can also mean “to pass or have reached a certain standard, or met a certain requirement.” It often applies to exams, as in passing the exam. For instance, you could say:
| I passed the HSK6 examination. | 我通过了HSK6的考试。 | wǒ tōngguò le HSK 6 de kǎoshì. |
View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我终于通过了驾照考核。 | wǒ zhōng yú tōng guò le jià zhào kǎo hé | I finally passed the driver’s license test. |
| 一共有五位候选者通过了面试。 | yī gòng yǒu wǔ wèi hòu xuǎn zhě tōng guò le miàn shì | A total of five candidates passed the interview. |
| 通过法律考试才可以当律师。 | tōng guò fǎ lǜ kǎo shì cái kě yǐ dāng lǜ shī | You can become a lawyer by passing the law examination. |
| 他没通过机场的安检。 | tā méi tōng guò jī chǎng de ān jiǎn | He didn’t past the security check at the airport. |
通过 as a preposition
As a preposition, 通过 expresses using a specific method to achieve the desired outcome.
It emphasizes the manner or process of doing something and can be placed before or after the subject.
STRUCTURE #1
通过 + Agent / Method ，Subject ……
STRUCTURE #2
Subject + 通过+ Agent / Method ……
通过宣传短片，我们可以更加了解这个产品。
Through the promotional video, we can learn more about this product.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我通过她的妈妈找到了她。 | wǒ tōng guò tā de mā mā zhǎo dào le tā | I found her through her mom. |
| 我们可以通过阅读了解更多知识。 | wǒ men kě yǐ tōng guò yuè dú liǎo jiě gèng duō zhī shí | We can learn more by reading. |
| 我们可以通过问卷条差得出结论。 | wǒ men kě yǐ tōng guò wèn juàn tiáo chà dé chū jié lùn | We can draw conclusions from the questionnaire spreads. |
| 通过老师的讲解，我明白了这个公式。 | tōng guò lǎo shī de jiǎng jiě , wǒ míng bái le zhè gè gōng shì | Through the teacher’s explanation, I understood this formula. |
| 通过交中国朋友，他的汉语水平提高得很快。 | tōng guò jiāo zhōng guó péng yǒu , tā de hàn yǔ shuǐ píng tí gāo de hěn kuài | His Chinese language improves quickly by making friends with Chinese. |
As you can tell from the examples, when used as a preposition, 通过 means “the attainment of a certain result through a certain way or manner.”
通过 vs 经过 SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
In conclusion, both 通过 (tōng guò) and 经过 (jīng guò) can be used to mean the attainment of a specific goal as a result of the influence of someone or something.
- However, 通过(tōng guò) emphasizes the method or means (of achieving something);
- While 经过(jīng guò) emphasizes the process.
Besides, when used as a verb, 通过 (tōng guò) means “to pass through someplace from one end/side to another end/side,” while 经过 (jīng guò) means “to go by way of” without having to “pass through” someplace.
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FAQs
How to use 经过?
When 经过 (jīng guò) is used as a verb, it means “to pass by” or “to pass through.”
It’s for saying things like, “I passed through downtown” or “I passed by the shop.”
As a preposition, “经过 (jīng guò)” means something like “through” (or “after going through“), and it puts focus on the process of that experience. The sentence structure is:
经过 + Event / Time ，……
How to use 通过?
When “通过 (tōng guò)” is used as a verb, it indicates “to go through” a certain object, as in “to pass through some place from one side to another.”
As a preposition, 通过 expresses using a specific method to achieve the desired outcome.
It emphasizes the manner or process of doing something and can be placed before or after the subject. The structure is as follows:
通过 + Agent / Method ，Subject ……
OR
Subject + 通过+ Agent / Method ……
What differences between 通过 and 经过?
Both 通过 (tōng guò) and 经过 (jīng guò) can be used to mean the attainment of a specific goal as a result of the influence of someone or something.
However, 通过(tōng guò) emphasizes the method or means (of achieving something); while 经过(jīng guò) emphasizes the process.
Besides, when used as a verb, 通过 (tōng guò) means “to pass through someplace from one end/side to another end/side,” while 经过 (jīng guò) means “to go by way of” without having to “pass through” someplace.
Some sentence examples with 经过?
经过 as a verb:
我每天都经过这个车站。wǒ měi tiān dū jīng guò zhè gè chē zhàn | I pass by this station every day.
你经过我家门口的时候叫我一下 。nǐ jīng guò wǒ jiā mén kǒu de shí hòu jiào wǒ yī xià | Call me when you pass by my door.
经过 as a preposition:
经过这次失败，我获得了宝贵的经验。jīng guò zhè cì shī bài , wǒ huò dé le bǎo guì de jīng yàn | After this failure, I gained valuable experience.
经过两天的休息，我感到很有活力。jīng guò liǎng tiān de xiū xī , wǒ gǎn dào hěn yǒu huó lì | After two days of rest, I feel energized.
Some sentence examples with 通过?
通过 as a verb:
从我家到学校要通过两座桥。cóng wǒ jiā dào xué xiào yào tōng guò liǎng zuò qiáo | There are two bridges to pass from my house to school.
我们要通过一条小河才能到达目的地。wǒ men yào tōng guò yī tiáo xiǎo hé cái néng dào dá mù dì dì | We have to cross a small river to reach our destination.
通过 as a preposition:
我通过她的妈妈找到了她。wǒ tōng guò tā de mā mā zhǎo dào le tā | I found her through her mom.
我们可以通过阅读了解更多知识。wǒ men kě yǐ tōng guò yuè dú liǎo jiě gèng duō zhī shí | We can learn more by reading.
Where to learn more B1 Chinese grammar?
You can study more B1 Chinese grammar on our Chinese Grammar Bank.
Some examples of the lessons you’ll find there:
How to use 终于
How to use 挺
How to use 就是