The word 一气呵成 is formed through a direct combination of its four characters: 一 (one) and 气 (breath) create the concept of a single breath or continuous flow, while 呵 (to exhale) and 成 (to complete) depict finishing an action through that exhalation. This literal sequence metaphorically represents accomplishing a task, such as writing a piece, in an unbroken effort, where the characters collectively illustrate a unified process from start to end.