The word 气味 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core sensory concept: 气 (qì), which originally denotes "air", "vapor", or "breath", and thus carries the idea of something airborne or diffuse; and 味 (wèi), meaning "flavor" or "taste", representing a perceptible quality. Their union creates a single, unified concept where the intangible medium (气) carries a perceptible quality (味), resulting in the meaning "odor" or "smell", an essence perceived through the air.