过
guò
Cross one line and it's 过
The picture Arcing over a line and landing on the far side of it. 过 goes over the line and out the other side; 到 goes as far as the line and stops right there.
Where the picture shows up in 过
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cross the road
过马路要小心。
guò mǎlù yào xiǎoxīn
Be careful crossing the street.
Stepping across the white bars of a crossing one by one and up onto the far kerb
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the hour has been crossed
已经过了十点了。
yǐjīng guò le shí diǎn le
It's already gone ten.
The clock hand passing the ten mark and now standing beyond it
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live your way across a stretch of time
你打算怎么过年？
nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme guònián
How are you spending New Year?
Walking across the several-day bridge of the New Year holiday, one day at a time
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you crossed it and the mark stayed
我去过北京。
wǒ qù guo Běijīng
I've been to Beijing.
A footprint stamp pressed firmly onto Beijing on the map, still there after the trip
This 过 is the mark of having done it once. Unlike 了, it doesn't say the situation still holds — only that you crossed that ground.
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cross over to this side
把盐递过来。
bǎ yán dì guòlái
Pass the salt over, would you?
The salt cellar travelling from the far side of the table across to your place
All of it in one picture
过 is arcing over a line and landing on the far side. Cross the bars of the crossing and you cross the street; cross the ten mark and the hour has gone; walk day by day across the bridge of a holiday and you have spent the New Year. And where you crossed, a mark stays: 去过 is that footprint stamp, and 递过来 is asking something to come across the line to this side.