The word 透气 (tòuqì) is a verb-object compound formed by combining the character 透 (tòu), meaning "to penetrate" or "to pass through", with 气 (qì), meaning "air" or "gas". Morphologically, the first character acts as the verb ("to penetrate"), and the second character acts as its direct object ("air"), creating the literal meaning "to let air pass through". This structure then extends semantically to describe both the physical property of a material being breathable (e.g., fabric) and, metaphorically, a state or environment being stuffy or in need of ventilation, as well as the act of going outside for fresh air to relieve压抑 (oppression). Thus, it efficiently encapsulates a concrete action and its related abstract sensations in a single lexical unit.