The Chinese word **初衷 (chūzhōng)** is a compound term formed by combining the character **初 (chū)**, meaning "initial," "first," or "original," with **衷 (zhōng)**, meaning "inner heart," "true feelings," or "sincere intention." It is a semantic compound where both components contribute conceptually: **初** provides the temporal sense of "at the beginning," while **衷** provides the abstract, internal sense of "heartfelt motive." Thus, the term literally and figuratively signifies one's **"original intention," "initial sincere motive," or "heartfelt purpose from the start,"** capturing the idea of the genuine objective one held when first embarking on an endeavor.