The word 下载 (xiàzǎi, meaning "to download") is formed through a direct conceptual metaphor. It visually combines 下 ("down" or "below") with 载 ("to carry" or "to load"), creating the immediate mental image of carrying or transferring something downward from a source to a receiver. This mirrors the action of pulling data from a network or higher-level system (like the internet) down onto a local device, perfectly capturing the directional flow of the process in physical, spatial terms.