The Chinese word 精雕细琢 is a four-character compound formed from two parallel verb phrases: "精雕" and "细琢". The character 精 means "refined", modifying 雕, which means "to carve", resulting in "refined carving". Similarly, 细 means "fine" or "detailed", modifying 琢, which means "to polish", yielding "detailed polishing". The combination pairs semantically related actions, carving and polishing, each intensified by an adjective to convey thorough, meticulous craftsmanship.