过来 / 过去【guòlai / guòqu】

过来 and 过去 after a verb can do more than say someone came over or went across. The extended senses follow one picture: 过来 is toward the normal, the correct or the speaker; 过去 is away from them, or past something.

过来: back to normal

After 醒, 明白, 反应 and 改, 过来 says someone or something has returned to the normal or correct state.

• × 他醒过去了 → 他醒过来了

过去: leaving that state, or getting past

过去 goes the other way: losing the normal state, or getting past something and leaving it behind. 睡过去 is dropping off without meaning to; 混过去 is getting away with something.

说得过去 "acceptable, passable" and 说不过去 "not right, hard to justify" belong here.

Too much to handle: V不过来

忙不过来, 看不过来 and 照顾不过来 say there is more than one person can deal with. Only 过来 does this job.

• × 我一个人忙不过去 → 我一个人忙不过来

Turning round

With 转 and 翻, 过来 is turning to face the speaker or the right way up, and 过去 is turning away or over. A noun object goes between 过 and 来 or 去.