The Chinese word "撕心裂肺" is formed by combining two verb-object compounds: "撕心" (tearing the heart) and "裂肺" (splitting the lungs). Each compound pairs a verb indicating violent action ("撕" for tear, "裂" for crack) with a noun representing a vital organ ("心" for heart, "肺" for lungs). The parallel structure merges these literal images to convey a metaphorical sense of extreme anguish or pain.