The word 代价 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core concept to create a new, unified meaning. The first character, 代, carries the idea of "substituting" or "acting on behalf of", implying an exchange or replacement. The second character, 价, directly means "price" or "value". When paired, they metaphorically extend the idea of a literal price to represent what must be given up, endured, or sacrificed, the "substitute price", in order to gain or achieve something else, thus forming the concept of "cost" or "price to be paid" in a broad, often non-monetary sense.