The compound word "饰演" (shìyǎn) is formed through the combination of two distinct but semantically related characters: "饰" (shì), which originally means "to decorate" or "to adorn" but in this context carries the extended meaning of "to play a role" or "to impersonate," and "演" (yǎn), which means "to perform," "to act," or "to evolve." Together, they form a **verb-object structure** where "饰" functions as the verb meaning "to play/portray," and "演" acts as its object, meaning "the performance" or "the acting." Thus, the word literally means "to perform the acting of a role," specifically referring to an actor's portrayal of a character in drama, film, or theater, with the combined meaning emphasizing the professional and artistic act of performance.