小過

1. Slight Excess: A quantity or action that exceeds a norm by a small margin; may be neutral (technical overlap) or positive (meticulousness).

2. Minor Error: A small mistake, lapse, or fault.

3. Limited Transgression: The act of crossing a boundary within a restricted register.

4. Small-Scale Passage: Passing through a small opening or traveling a short distance across a boundary.

• Noun/State: A "slight overstepping" or "minor fault."
• Verb Phrase: To slightly exceed; to pass through on a small scale.
• Modifier: Describing an action characterized by modest excess or limited ambition.

• The 過 / 不及 Axis: In classical texts, 過 (excess/overstepping) is frequently paired with 不及 (bù jí, falling short). Determine if the text is weighing "too much" against "too little."
• Scale Contrast: Contrast with 大過 (dà guò, great excess/major error). While 大過 typically implies systemic failure or catastrophe, 小過 suggests a manageable deviation.

過: Semantic and simplified variant U+8FC7.

Avoid the reflexive translation of 過 as "error." While common in moralistic texts, it is frequently a neutral term for movement or quantity. Determine if the text treats the overstepping as an ethical failure or a calibration of scale.

In specific philosophical or divinatory contexts (notably the Yi Jing), 小過 may denote a strategic mode of operation: a deliberate choice to be "slightly over" the mark in minor matters, often associated with downward movement or extra care when bold action is unsupported.