The Chinese idiom "一叶障目" is formed by sequentially combining the characters 一 (one), 叶 (leaf), 障 (to obstruct), and 目 (eyes), resulting in a literal meaning of "one leaf blinds the eyes". It originates from a specific fable where a man believes holding a leaf will hide him, but it only blocks his own vision, thus the phrase is constructed to metaphorically illustrate how a minor detail can obscure overall perception.