The Chinese word 凭空捏造 is formed from two components: 凭空, which combines 凭 (rely on) and 空 (empty) to mean 'without basis,' and 捏造, which combines 捏 (knead/mold) and 造 (make) to mean 'fabricate.' Together, they create a compound word where 凭空 modifies 捏造, literally conveying the act of fabricating something from nothing.