The Chinese word 贝壳 (bèiké), meaning "seashell", is a compound noun formed through semantic combination. It consists of two characters: 贝 (bèi), which originally depicted a cowrie shell and historically represented currency or valuables in ancient China, and 壳 (ké), meaning "shell", "husk", or "hard outer covering". When combined, the characters create a precise and logical meaning: 贝 provides the core category (a shell-like object, historically a valuable seashell), and 壳 specifies its physical property (a hard casing). Therefore, 贝壳 literally translates to "shell casing" and semantically refers specifically to the hard, protective outer layer of mollusks found by the sea.