The Chinese term 脉冲 (màichōng), meaning "pulse" or "impulse" (as in an electrical signal), is a compound word formed through semantic combination. It literally translates to "pulse surge". The first character, 脉 (mài), means "pulse", "vein", or "rhythm", evoking the image of a recurring wave or beat. The second character, 冲 (chōng), means "to rush", "to surge", or "to impact". Together, they vividly depict the essential characteristic of a pulse: a sudden, brief surge of energy or a wave that rushes forward before subsiding, effectively capturing the technical concept in a metaphorical and visually descriptive manner.