The word 努力 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 努, which carries the idea of exerting oneself or striving, and 力, which means strength or force. Their union is not merely a sum of meanings but a fusion, where the act of applying one's inner strength or physical/mental force toward a purpose creates the new, holistic concept of diligent effort or hard work. It is a semantic compound where the first character describes the nature of the action, and the second provides the essential resource being mobilized.