大過

1. Quantitative & Structural: A state of imbalance where pressure exceeds sustainable limits; overloading or overburdening a supporting structure.

2. Behavioral & Moral: A serious transgression, systemic failure, or grave mistake.

3. Exceptionality: Action that passes far beyond ordinary measure; extreme intervention required when ordinary means are insufficient.

• Noun: A state of excess or a grave error.
• Verb Phrase: To exceed or overstep significantly.
• Modifier: Overburdened, excessive, or precarious.

Contrast with 盈 (yíng): While 盈 typically denotes saturation or being full/overflowing, 大過 emphasizes the act of crossing a limit and the resulting instability or transgression.

過: Semantic variant U+8FC7; Simplified variant U+8FC7.

The modifier 大 shifts the term from a momentary event to a systemic condition, implying that the scale of excess exceeds the capacity of the existing framework (social, physical, or psychological) to absorb the pressure without breaking. The translator must determine if the context refers to a moral failure (a mistake) or a structural reality (excessive weight/pressure).