The word 其实 is formed through a conceptual fusion where the character 其 (qí), meaning "that" or "its", acts as a pointer to a preceding idea or situation, and 实 (shí), meaning "reality", "fruit", or "substance", provides the core of actuality. Together, they create a figurative meaning akin to "the reality of that" or "its true substance", evolving from a literal sense of "its fruit" to an abstract adverbial phrase meaning "in fact" or "actually", directly contrasting apparent surface conditions with an underlying, more genuine truth.