The Chinese word 心愿 (xīnyuàn), meaning "heart's desire" or "cherished wish", is a compound noun formed by combining two meaningful characters: 心 (xīn), meaning "heart" or "mind", which represents one's inner thoughts and emotions, and 愿 (yuàn), meaning "wish", "hope", or "desire". Together, they create a modifier-head structure where 心 acts as the modifier specifying the type of wish, one that is sincere, heartfelt, and originates from the deepest part of one's being, and 愿 serves as the core head meaning "wish". This formation follows a common pattern in Mandarin where two independent, related morphemes are combined to produce a nuanced meaning that is more specific than either character alone.