The word 依赖 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a layer of meaning to create a unified concept. The first character, 依 (yī), pictographically suggests a person (亻) wrapped in clothing (衣), conveying the core idea of leaning upon, adhering to, or being supported by something. The second character, 赖 (lài), originally related to profit or gain, carries connotations of something to be relied upon or a necessary foundation. When fused, 依 provides the action of "leaning on", and 赖 provides the object or state of "that which is essential to lean on", together forming the complete notion of "to depend on" or "reliance", where one thing is fundamentally supported by another.