The word 起床 is formed by combining two characters: 起 (qǐ), which means "to rise" or "to get up", and 床 (chuáng), which means "bed". Together, they create a vivid conceptual image of the action of rising from the bed, directly picturing the physical act that defines the start of one's day. It is a logical compound where the action is paired with the primary object associated with that action, forming a clear and intuitive meaning.