Meaning
穿越 literally means 'to pass through' or 'to traverse' a physical space like a forest, desert, or border. In modern usage, it has become extremely popular in the context of time travel fiction, referring to traveling through time or across dimensions. The word combines 穿 (to penetrate, pass through) and 越 (to surpass, cross over).
Usage
In contemporary Chinese pop culture, 穿越 is strongly associated with time-travel dramas and novels, where characters travel to ancient China or alternate worlds. When used for physical traversal, it typically refers to crossing challenging terrain or boundaries. The time-travel meaning has become so prevalent that 穿越剧 (time-travel drama) and 穿越小说 (time-travel novel) are recognized genres.
Examples
- 01这部电视剧讲的是一个现代女孩穿越到清朝的故事。.This TV drama tells the story of a modern girl who travels back in time to the Qing Dynasty.
- 02探险队成功穿越了撒哈拉沙漠。.The expedition team successfully crossed the Sahara Desert.
Characters
Common collocations
- 穿越时空to travel through time and space
- 穿越剧time-travel drama
- 穿越小说time-travel novel
- 穿越沙漠to cross the desert
Origin
The combination of 穿 (penetrate) and 越 (cross over) creates a compound meaning 'to pass through completely.' The time-travel sense emerged in the 2000s through internet fiction and became mainstream through popular TV dramas.