The word 同学 is formed by combining two individual characters: 同 (tóng), meaning "same" or "together", and 学 (xué), meaning "to study" or "learning". Their combination is conceptual, creating a compound where the first character modifies the second; it literally paints the idea of "same study" or "studying together", which naturally extends to mean a person who shares this experience, a fellow student or classmate. This formation is a direct fusion of core ideas to evoke a shared context of learning.