Chinese Conversation · Level 48
90 words
Chinese word
过火
Pronunciation
Pinyinguò huǒ
Meaning
- adjectiveover the line
Example
你刚才的评论有点过火。nǐ gāng cái de píng lùn yóu diǎn guò huǒ
The comment you made just now was a bit over the line.
More examples
他的玩笑有点过火，大家都沉默了。tā de wán xiào yóu diǎn guò huǒ dà jiā dōu chén mò le
His joke went a bit over the line, and everyone fell silent.
Core concept
Words or actions push past the boundary of what the situation can reasonably bear.
Common phrases
有点过火yóu diǎn guò huǒ
a bit over the line
批评过火pī píng guò huǒ
excessive criticism
Similar words
过分guò fèn: Excessive in degree, amount, or behavior and therefore not appropriate.
过头guò tóu: Gone beyond a sensible limit through doing or saying too much.
过度guò dù: More than needed or suitable in amount, strength, or degree.
Definition in Chinese
用作形容词，表示言语或行为超过恰当范围，多指情绪化的表达或对他人的苛刻批评。yòng zuò xíng róng cí biǎo shì yán yǔ huò xíng wéi chāo guò qià dàng fàn wéi duō zhǐ qíng xù huà de biǎo dá huò duì tā rén de kē kè pī píng
Word origin
过火 (guòhuǒ, "over the line") combines 过 (guò, "to pass") with 火 (huǒ, "fire"), using fire's heat and force to picture words or actions that pass a reasonable limit.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, it often softens a judgment about a remark or action when paired with a degree word, making the criticism sound measured rather than absolute.
Other meanings
- excessiveadjective
Opposites
- 适度shì dùmoderateadjective
- 恰当qià dàngappropriateadjective