The Chinese word "早出晚归" is formed by sequentially combining the characters 早 (early), 出 (to go out), 晚 (late), and 归 (to return). The first pair, 早出, means "to go out early", and the second pair, 晚归, means "to return late". When joined, they create a literal compound phrase meaning "leave early and return late", directly describing a day spent away from home.