The word 直接 is formed through the semantic combination of its two constituent characters: 直 (zhí), meaning "straight" or "direct", and 接 (jiē), meaning "to connect" or "to receive". The compound visually and conceptually merges the idea of a "straight connection" or a "direct reception", creating a single concept that means "direct" or "immediate". Its formation is a logical fusion where the meaning of the whole is derived from this literal, almost spatial, relationship between its parts.