The word 腐烂 is formed through a meaningful combination of two individual characters, each contributing to the overall concept. The first character, 腐, fundamentally means "to decay" or "to rot", often implying a process of spoilage or corruption. The second character, 烂, means "sodden", "overripe", "thoroughly cooked", or "rotten to the point of falling apart". When placed together, they create a composite image where 腐 describes the state or process of decomposition, and 烂 intensifies this by emphasizing the resultant pulpy, disintegrated, or utterly spoiled condition. Thus, the formation is a semantic compound where both elements visually and conceptually reinforce the same core idea of advanced organic decay.