About
The word 罪过 is formed by combining two characters, each carrying a weight of moral failing, to create a single, profound concept of wrongdoing. 罪 (zuì) originally depicted a net over non-conformity, representing a "crime" or "sin", a serious offense against law or divine order. 过 (guò) means to "pass" or "cross", but in a moral sense, it signifies a "fault" or "transgression", an error in judgment or conduct. When fused, 罪过 doesn't merely add the two ideas; it synthesizes them to express a deep sense of culpability, encompassing both the objective severity of a sin (罪) and the subjective recognition of having erred or overstepped (过). It thus conveys a complete sense of blameworthy action and the resulting moral burden.