The word 提醒 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a vivid physical metaphor to create the meaning "to remind". The first character, 提 (tí), means to lift, carry, or raise, suggesting the action of bringing something up from a lower place. The second, 醒 (xǐng), means to wake up, become conscious, or become clear. Together, they create the conceptual image of lifting an idea or a piece of information into someone’s conscious awareness, effectively waking their mind to it, much as one might rouse a person from sleep.