'Guò hé' literally means 'to cross a river'—'guò' (to pass/cross) combined with 'hé' (river). It describes the physical act of moving from one side of a river to the other, whether by bridge, boat, swimming, or wading. While it can be used literally in geographical or travel contexts, it also appears in idioms and figurative expressions—for example, in the idiom '过河拆桥' (to cross the river and then dismantle the bridge), meaning to betray someone after using their help.

The phrase functions as a verb phrase and typically appears with subjects, time words, or aspect particles like 'le' or 'guo'. It’s neutral in register—common in both spoken and written Chinese—and often appears in narratives about journeys, geography lessons, or historical accounts of troop movements or migration. Unlike English 'cross a river', it does not require an object; 'hé' is already embedded in the compound, so saying 'guò hé yī tiáo hé' would be redundant.