The word 仙女 is formed by combining two conceptual images: 仙 (xiān), which evokes the idea of an enlightened transcendent being who has achieved immortality through spiritual cultivation, often pictured dwelling in mystical mountain realms or floating clouds, with 女 (nǚ), which simply denotes a woman or female entity. Together, they visually and notionally merge to create the specific archetype of a "female celestial" or "fairy maiden", a graceful, benevolent, and often magical feminine being from Chinese mythology, distinct from male immortals (仙) by her explicitly feminine and commonly elegant or nurturing portrayal in stories and art.