The word 这时 is formed by the direct combination of two independent characters: 这 (zhè), meaning "this", and 时 (shí), meaning "time" or "moment". It is a straightforward conceptual fusion where the demonstrative "this" modifies the noun "time", creating a compound that literally and functionally signifies "this time" or "at this moment". The formation is purely semantic, building a new, specific temporal reference from two core meaning units.