The word 穿越 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a vivid spatial metaphor: 穿 (chuān), which evokes piercing through a barrier or medium like a needle through cloth, and 越 (yuè), which conveys leaping over or crossing beyond a boundary like a hurdle. Together, they create a dynamic, compound image of traversing by both penetrating and transcending, merging into the core concept of passing through and across, typically through time, space, or dimensions, as a single, seamless act of traversal.