The Chinese word **诚信 (chéngxìn)**, meaning "integrity" or "good faith," is a compound formed by combining two semantically related characters: **诚 (chéng)**, which means "sincerity," "honesty," or "truthfulness," and **信 (xìn)**, which means "to believe," "to trust," or "trustworthiness." Together, they create a cohesive concept where **诚** represents an internal state of genuineness and moral honesty, while **信** represents the external manifestation and reputation of being trustworthy and reliable. The formation is thus a **synergistic combination**, where each character reinforces and deepens the meaning of the other to express the complete virtue of keeping one's word and acting with honest intentions, which is foundational in Chinese ethical philosophy.