The word 巧舌如簧 is formed by combining the characters 巧 (meaning clever) and 舌 (meaning tongue) to form the phrase 巧舌 (clever tongue), which is then linked by 如 (meaning like) to 簧 (meaning reed, as in a musical instrument), creating a simile that literally translates to "clever tongue like a reed", metaphorically indicating eloquent or artful speech.