The word 几率 is formed by combining two characters whose core meanings conceptually merge to express the idea of probability. The first character, 几 (jǐ), carries a foundational sense of "how many" or "an indefinite small number", hinting at uncertainty and quantity. The second, 率 (lǜ), essentially means "rate", "ratio", or "proportion". Therefore, the term is constructed by directly linking the notion of an indefinite or variable quantity (几) with the concept of a measured ratio (率), effectively creating the meaning of "the ratio of occurrences", or more simply, the numerical measure of chance, which is probability.