The Chinese word 圣徒 (shèngtú), meaning "saint" or "believer," is a compound word formed through semantic combination. It consists of the character 圣 (shèng), which means "holy" or "sagely," and 徒 (tú), which means "follower," "disciple," or "adherent." The structure follows a modifier-head pattern common in Chinese, where 圣 modifies 徒 to specify the type of follower—thus creating the meaning "holy follower" or "saint." This formation is analogous to many Sino-vocabulary terms where two meaningful characters combine to produce a new, specific concept, often with roots in classical or translated religious terminology.