The word 立刻 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing to the overall meaning of immediacy. 立 (lì) originally depicts a person standing upright, conveying the sense of "standing" or "erect", which extends metaphorically to mean "instantaneous" or "immediate". 刻 (kè) refers to a "quarter-hour" or a carved notch on a timekeeping device, representing a precise, short moment. Together, they form a compound where both elements reinforce the concept of something happening at that very instant, in the current moment, with no delay.