The word **尾随** is a verb-object compound formed by combining **尾** (wěi), meaning "tail," and **随** (suí), meaning "to follow." It literally depicts the image of "following at the tail" or "attaching to the rear," creating the metaphorical meaning of shadowing someone closely, often secretly or persistently, much like a tail follows a body. This formation is typical in Chinese, where two characters with related meanings combine to create a vivid, figurative expression for an action; in this case, it effectively conveys the notion of discreet, continuous pursuit, as in "to tail" or "to follow on the heels of someone."