The word 潜移默化 is formed by combining the characters 潜 (meaning "hidden" or "stealthy"), 移 (meaning "to move" or "to shift"), 默 (meaning "silent" or "quiet"), and 化 (meaning "to transform" or "to change"). The pairing of 潜 and 默 implies something concealed and unobtrusive, while 移 and 化 together indicate a process of movement and alteration, resulting in a literal sense of change occurring gradually and imperceptibly.