The word 坐标 (zuòbiāo), meaning "coordinate", is formed by combining two meaningful characters into a single conceptual unit. The first character, 坐 (zuò), means "to sit" or "to be situated", implying a fixed location or position. The second, 标 (biāo), means "mark", "sign", or "point". Together, they create the vivid image of a "sitting mark" or a fixed point of reference from which other positions are measured, perfectly capturing the essence of a coordinate as a defined point in space used for orientation and measurement.