过路人

過路人
guòlùrén
noun #32,534

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 passer-by
  2. 2 passing stranger
  3. 3 someone who briefly enters one's life

Examples

HSK 3
Tā xiàng yī gè guòlùrén wènlù.
He asked a passer-by for directions.
HSK 3
Duì tā éryán, tā zhǐshì yī gè guòlùrén.
To her, he was just a passer-by in her life.

Tips

usage
Beyond the literal meaning ('person walking past'), 过路人 is a frequent metaphor in songs and breakup lyrics for someone who used to matter but is no longer significant - 'just a passer-by in my life.'
memory
(pass) + (road) + (person) = 'road-passing person.' The structure is the same as 行人 (pedestrian) but more specific to people walking past.

Stroke Order

guò
rén