The word "云霄飞车" is formed by combining the characters "云" meaning "cloud" and "霄" meaning "sky" into "云霄" to convey "clouds and sky", then adding "飞" meaning "fly" and "车" meaning "vehicle" into "飞车" for "flying vehicle"; this sequential combination results in a literal description of a vehicle that flies through the clouds and sky, which is the term for a roller coaster.