The word "真理" is formed by combining the character 真, meaning "true" or "real", with 理, meaning "principle" or "reason". 真 derives from ancient pictographs emphasizing authenticity, while 理 is composed of the radical 玉 (jade) and the component 里 (inside), conveying the idea of inner pattern or order. Together, they create a compound where 真 modifies 理 to denote "truth" as the principle of what is true.