The Chinese word **悼念** (dàoniàn), meaning "to mourn" or "to grieve for someone," is a compound word formed by combining two characters with related meanings. The first character, **悼** (dào), specifically means "to mourn" or "to lament," carrying the core semantic weight of grief and sorrow. The second character, **念** (niàn), means "to think of," "to remember," or "to cherish the memory of." When combined, they create a more nuanced and complete concept than either character alone: **悼** provides the emotional context of sadness and mourning, while **念** adds the cognitive action of remembrance and reflection, together forming the act of sorrowfully remembering and honoring a deceased person.