The Chinese word 曲线 (qūxiàn, meaning "curve") is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: 曲 (qū), which conveys the idea of being "bent", "curved", or "crooked", and 线 (xiàn), which means "line" or "thread". In this semantic compound, the first character 曲 modifies the second 线, specifying the type of line, thus creating the meaning "a bent line" or "curve". This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two independent, concrete concepts are combined to produce a new, more specific or sometimes abstract term, in this case a noun used frequently in mathematics, design, and general description.