The word "人口" (rénkǒu), meaning "population", is formed through a straightforward conceptual combination of its two component characters. The first character, "人", means "person" or "people". The second, "口", means "mouth". It is formed by using "mouth" as a tangible, countable unit that represents an individual within a group, thereby merging the concepts of "people" and their "mouths" to create the aggregate idea of a counted, living populace.