The word 机灵 (jīling) is a compound adjective formed through the semantic combination of its two morphemes: 机 (jī), which carries connotations of "quick-witted", "alert", or "mechanism" (implying a reactive quality), and 灵 (líng), which means "spirit", "nimble", or "efficacious". Together, they merge to describe a person (especially a child) who is clever, sharp, mentally agile, and quick to react or understand situations. The formation is typical of Chinese lexical construction, where two characters with related or complementary meanings are joined to create a new, nuanced concept that emphasizes both intellectual alertness and spirited liveliness.