HSK · Level 69
75 words
Chinese word
穿越
Pronunciation
Pinyinchuān yuè
Meaning
- verbcross
Example
他们骑车穿越了沙漠。tā men qí chē chuān yuè le shā mò
They rode bikes across the desert.
More examples
工程队正在穿越山脉修建公路。gōng chéng duì zhèng zài chuān yuè shān mài xiū jiàn gōng lù
The construction crew is building a road across the mountain range.
Core concept
A passage from one side of a broad space or limit to the other, with the same idea extending from places to times and situations.
Common phrases
穿越隧道chuān yuè suì dào
go through a tunnel
穿越河流chuān yuè hé liú
cross a river
穿越山脉chuān yuè shān mài
cross a mountain range
Similar words
穿过chuān guò: Move through the inside of a place or between things and come out on the far side.
通过tōng guò: Get to a place or state by going through an area, stage, or process.
越过yuè guò: Cross over a boundary or obstacle and arrive on the opposite side.
跨越kuà yuè: Cross a distance, stretch of time, gap, or obstacle from one end to the other.
Definition in Chinese
通过某一区域或障碍到达另一处，常用于表示横跨地域、时空或情境的移动。tōng guò mǒu yì qū yù huò zhàng ài dào dá lìng yí chù cháng yòng yú biǎo shì héng kuà dì yù shí kōng huò qíng jìng de yí dòng
Word origin
穿 (chuān, "pierce") suggests going through an obstruction, and 越 (yuè, "go beyond") adds movement past a limit, so their combination forms the idea of crossing through.
Usage tips
- English speakers may expect a direct physical meaning, but Chinese also uses this verb naturally for journeys across historical periods or fictional worlds.
Other meanings
- pass throughverb
Related words
- 穿越小说chuān yuè xiǎo shuōtime-travel novelnoun
- 穿越剧chuān yuè jùtime-travel dramanoun