The word 明白 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 明 (míng), meaning "bright" or "clear" (as in light), and 白 (bái), meaning "white" or "plain". Together, they create a metaphorical composite where the idea of visual clarity and luminosity (明) merges with the notion of something being plain, unobscured, or evident (白) to express the abstract state of mental clarity, understanding, or "seeing something clearly" in the mind. It is a semantic compound where both parts contribute meaning to the whole idea of comprehension.