The compound word 私奔 (sībēn) is formed through semantic combination, where the first character 私 (sī), meaning "private", "personal", or "selfish", modifies the second character 奔 (bēn), meaning "to run", "to flee", or "to hurry". Together, they create a vivid verb meaning "to elope", literally conceptualizing the act as "to run away privately". This formation perfectly captures the secretive, urgent, and traditionally transgressive nature of leaving one's family or social obligations to marry without consent, with the "private" element highlighting the defiance of public or familial norms.