The Chinese word 抢劫 is formed through a process of compounding, where two independent characters with closely related meanings are combined to create a single, more specific concept. The character 抢 means "to snatch" or "to rob", focusing on the action of seizing. The character 劫 means "to plunder" or "to coerce", carrying a stronger connotation of violence and threat. By placing them together, the word synthesizes these ideas into a unified and intensified meaning of "to commit robbery" or "to holdup", where the act involves both the forceful taking of property and the implicit or explicit use of intimidation or violence.