The character 存在 is formed through the conceptual combination of two independent ideographs: 存, which originally depicted the idea of a child being nurtured and thus conveys notions of preservation, continuation, and "to be", and 在, which combines elements representing earth and a seedling to signify "to be present at a location". Together, they synthesize the abstract philosophical concept of "existence" by merging the enduring aspect of 存 with the locative, manifest presence of 在, creating a compound that means "to be present and enduring in the world".