The Chinese word 体育馆 (tǐyùguǎn) is formed by logically combining three meaningful characters: 体 (tǐ), meaning "body"; 育 (yù), meaning "to nurture" or "to develop"; and 馆 (guǎn), meaning "a large building" or "hall". The first two characters, 体育, together form the concept of "physical education" or "sports", literally the "nurturing of the body". This concept is then attached to 馆, which denotes the type of structure, to create the complete meaning of "sports hall" or "gymnasium", a building dedicated to physical exercise and athletic activities.