The word "厨房" (chúfáng), meaning "kitchen", is formed by combining two pictographic characters that visually and conceptually describe the space's function. The first character, "厨" (chú), originally depicted a hand preparing food under a protective roof, representing the act of cooking. The second character, "房" (fáng), signifies a room or building. When placed together, they create a direct, logical compound: a "room for cooking", where the first element specifies the purpose and the second defines the physical structure.