The Chinese idiom 孤芳自赏 is formed through the direct juxtaposition of four characters: 孤 (lonely), 芳 (fragrance, representing beauty), 自 (self), and 赏 (appreciate). This sequence creates a literal meaning of "a lonely fragrance that appreciates itself", where 孤 modifies 芳 to denote an isolated beauty, and 自赏 specifies the action of self-appreciation, resulting in a metaphorical expression for someone who admires their own qualities in solitude.