The Chinese word 前程 (qiánchéng), meaning "future prospects" or "career path", is a classical compound formed through metaphorical combination: the character 前 (qián) means "front" or "ahead", and 程 (chéng) originally meant "a measured journey" or "road". Thus, the term literally translates to "the road ahead", which over time evolved into its modern figurative sense of one's future journey, encompassing opportunities, advancement, and destiny. This formation exemplifies how Chinese frequently creates abstract concepts by combining concrete, spatial imagery.