The Chinese word 坚韧不拔 is formed by combining the two-character compound 坚韧, meaning 'tough and resilient' from 坚 (firm) and 韧 (pliable), with the two-character compound 不拔, meaning 'cannot be uprooted' from 不 (not) and 拔 (pull out), resulting in a four-character idiom that literally conveys the idea of being firm, tough, and unshakable.