The word 穿透 is a verb-object compound (动宾结构) formed by combining the verb 穿 (chuān), meaning "to pierce through" or "to penetrate", with the resultative complement 透 (tòu), meaning "thoroughly" or "to the other side". In this construction, 透 intensifies and completes the action of 穿, specifying that the piercing action achieves a complete breakthrough. The compound thus means "to pierce through" in a literal sense (e.g., light piercing darkness) and is often extended metaphorically to mean seeing through an illusion or understanding something deeply.