The word 频率 is formed by combining two conceptual building blocks: the character 频, which carries the core idea of "repeated occurrences" or "rate", and the character 率, which contributes the notion of a "ratio", "standard", or "coefficient". Together, they create a single, unified concept where 频 provides the subject matter (repetition) and 率 provides the framework for its measurement (a quantified rate), resulting in the meaning "frequency", the rate at which a repetitive event happens over a unit of time.