Definition

1. Preposition:

   • Through / Across / Over: Indicates movement from one side to the other of a physical space or obstacle.
   • Via / By way of: Indicates the route, means, or intermediary through which something is done.
   • During / Over the course of: Indicates passage through a period of time.

2. Adjective:

   • Past / Last / Gone by: Refers to a time period immediately preceding the present.
   • Over / Finished: Describes an event or state that has ended.

3. Verb:

   • To pass (by): To go past a point or place.
   • To cross: To go from one side to the other.
   • To pass away / To die: A euphemism for dying.
   • To pass (a test, an obstacle): To succeed in overcoming or getting through something.

Usage Examples

• Preposition:

  • Xe lửa chạy qua đường hầm. (The train runs through the tunnel.)
  • Tôi gửi thư qua bưu điện. (I send letters via the postal service.)
  • Anh ấy làm việc qua đêm. (He worked through the night.)

• Adjective:

  • Tuần qua rất bận rộn. (Last week was very busy.)
  • Mọi nguy hiểm đã qua. (All danger is over.)

• Verb:

  • Cô ta đi qua đây. (She passed by here.)
  • Chúng tôi qua sông bằng đò. (We cross the river by boat.)
  • Cụ ông đã qua đời. (The old man passed away.)
  • Cô ấy đã qua kỳ thi. (She passed the exam.)

Advanced Usage

• "Qua" as a discourse marker: Used to indicate a superficial or brief action.

  • Tôi chỉ đọc qua báo cáo. (I only skimmed through the report.)

• "Qua" in negative emphasis: Used in negative constructions for emphasis, often untranslated directly.

  • Không có qua một bóng người. (There wasn't a single soul.)

Variants and Related Words

• Qua đời (v): To pass away, to die.

  • Nhà văn lớn đã qua đời ở tuổi 90. (The great writer passed away at age 90.)

• Đi qua (v): To go through/past.

  • Chúng tôi đã đi qua nhiều khó khăn. (We went through many difficulties.)

• Năm qua (n): Last year.

  • Kinh tế năm qua tăng trưởng tốt. (The economy grew well last year.)

Synonyms

• Preposition: Through, across, via, during.
• Adjective: Past, last, previous, finished.
• Verb: To pass, to cross, to elapse, to die.

Related Idioms

• "Qua cầu rút ván": To burn one's bridges; to abandon support after achieving one's goal.

  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn là kẻ hay qua cầu rút ván. (Don't trust him; he's the type who burns his bridges.)

• "Một đi không trở lại" / "Đi qua là mất": Gone forever; what's past is past.

  • Thời gian như nước chảy qua cầu, một đi không trở lại. (Time is like water under the bridge, gone forever.)

adj

1. last
   • năm qua
     last year

conj

1. by
   • cô ta đi qua đây
     She passed by here. after;during
   • I, mẹ

verb

1. to pass away; to be gone
   • nhắc lại những việc đã qua
     to recall past evens. to cross
   • qua đò
     to cross a river on a boat