胜过 (shèng guò) is a transitive verb meaning 'to surpass', 'to outdo', or 'to be superior to' someone or something in ability, quality, performance, or achievement. The character 胜 (shèng) means 'to win' or 'victory', while 过 (guò) here functions as a resultative complement indicating 'beyond' or 'past'—together, they literally convey 'winning beyond' or 'going beyond in victory'. It emphasizes a clear, often measurable, advantage and is commonly used in comparisons involving people, skills, objects, or abstract qualities like speed, intelligence, or efficiency.

This word is neutral in register and frequently appears in both spoken and written Chinese—especially in academic, competitive, or evaluative contexts (e.g., exams, sports, product reviews). It requires a direct object and typically follows the pattern Subject + 胜过 + Object. Unlike the more formal 超越 (chāoyuè), 胜过 is accessible for intermediate learners and sounds natural in everyday speech when expressing relative superiority.