The word "泰国" (Tàiguó) for "Thailand" is formed through a combination of sound and meaning. The first character "泰" (Tài) is chosen primarily for its sound, closely approximating the "Thai" part of the country's name. Simultaneously, "泰" carries its own intrinsic meaning of "peaceful" or "safe", which positively connotes the nation. This is then combined with the second character "国" (guó), which universally means "country" or "kingdom", resulting in a compound that literally translates as "Peaceful Kingdom" while phonetically representing "Thailand".