The Chinese word 献身 (xiànshēn) is a verb-object compound formed through semantic combination. It literally breaks down into 献 (xiàn), meaning "to offer" or "to dedicate", and 身 (shēn), meaning "body" or "self". When combined, the term moves beyond a literal "offering of one's body" to metaphorically signify "to devote oneself" or "to sacrifice one's life/efforts" for a cause, ideal, or another person. This formation exemplifies how Chinese compounds often create abstract, idiomatic meanings by combining concrete, tangible characters, where the object (身) receives the action of the verb (献) to express a profound commitment.