The Chinese word 奢侈 (shēchǐ), meaning "luxurious" or "extravagant", is a compound formed by combining two semantically similar characters, each contributing to the overall concept of excess. The first character, 奢 (shē), originally depicted "extravagance" or "excessive" spending, carrying a connotation of going beyond normal limits. The second character, 侈 (chǐ), means "wasteful", "immoderate", or "to spread out", emphasizing an expansion beyond proper bounds. When paired, these characters reinforce and amplify each other, creating a binome (a two-syllable word) that vividly conveys the idea of lavish, wasteful, and excessive consumption or behavior beyond what is necessary or appropriate.