The word "说服" is formed by combining the character "说" (shuō), which means "to speak" or "to persuade", with the character "服" (fú), which means "to submit" or "to comply". In this compound, "说" represents the action of speaking, and "服" indicates the result of that action, where someone is led to submission or agreement. Thus, the word literally conveys the concept of using speech to achieve persuasion, meaning "to convince" or "to persuade".