The Chinese word 越野 is formed by combining the character 越, meaning "to cross over" or "to exceed", with the character 野, meaning "wild" or "open country". Together, they create a compound word that literally translates to "cross wild lands", which directly conveys the concept of traversing rough or undeveloped terrain, as seen in terms like 越野车 (off-road vehicle) or 越野赛 (cross-country race).