The Chinese word 劳动 (láodòng), meaning "labor" or "work", is a compound word formed by combining two meaningful characters: 劳 (láo), which conveys the idea of "toil", "exertion", or "fatigue", and 动 (dòng), which means "to move" or "action". Together, they semantically merge to depict the concept of "productive physical movement" or "exerting effort through activity". This formation follows a common pattern in Mandarin where two related morphemes are paired to create a more precise or abstract noun, evolving from the classical sense of physical toil to encompass all forms of work, both manual and mental, in modern usage.