The Chinese word '沁源' is formed from the characters '沁' and '源'. '沁' is composed of the water radical '氵' and '心' (heart), conveying the meaning of seeping or permeating. '源' is composed of the water radical '氵' and '原' (origin), meaning source. Combined, '沁源' literally refers to the source of seepage, typically used as a toponym for a location with such a hydrological feature.