The word 青春痘 is formed by combining the characters 青 (qīng), which in this context contributes to the idea of youthfulness, 春 (chūn), meaning "spring" and associated with youth and growth, and 痘 (dòu), meaning "pimple" or "acne". Together, 青春 creates a compound meaning "youth" or "adolescence", and when appended with 痘, it literally denotes "youth pimples", specifically referring to acne that typically occurs during puberty.