The word 童年 is formed by directly combining two meaningful characters: 童, which pictorially and conceptually represents a child or youthful state, and 年, which symbolizes a year or a period of time. Together, they create a composite concept where the "time" (年) specifically associated with being a "child" (童) is fused into a single term, metaphorically painting the picture of one's "childhood years" as a distinct and unified phase of life.