The word 回想 is formed by combining two characters: 回 (huí), which carries the core meaning of "to return" or "back", and 想 (xiǎng), which means "to think". Their combination creates a direct conceptual image: the act of thinking that travels back in time. It visually and semantically depicts the mind turning or returning to a past moment, event, or memory, thus forming the meaning "to recall" or "to reminisce".