The Chinese word 分居 (fēnjū) is a compound word formed by combining two distinct characters: 分 (fēn), meaning "to separate" or "to divide", and 居 (jū), meaning "to reside" or "to live". Together, they create a verb that literally means "to live separately", specifically describing a situation where a married couple ceases cohabitation while remaining legally married. This formation follows a common grammatical pattern in Chinese where a verb (分) modifies or is coupled with another verb or noun (居) to specify a particular type of action or state, in this case, the state of separation in one's living arrangements.