The word 期待 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to create a unified concept. The first character, 期 (qī), carries the sense of a designated time, a period, or an anticipation of a future point. The second, 待 (dài), means to wait for or to treat. When fused, they do not merely add together but interact: the "waiting" of 待 becomes directed toward the "anticipated time or event" of 期, forming the holistic idea of looking forward to something, embodying a state of hopeful and expectant waiting.