The word 工资 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core idea to create the concept of monetary compensation for work. The first character, 工 (gōng), means "work" or "labor". The second character, 资 (zī), carries the fundamental meaning of "capital", "resources", or "funds". Therefore, the compound logically and visually represents "the funds or capital related to work", directly conveying the idea of wages or salary.