About
The Chinese word **实质** (*shízhì*) is a compound term formed by combining two meaningful characters: **实** (*shí*), meaning "solid," "true," or "real," and **质** (*zhì*), meaning "substance," "quality," or "nature." It follows the common structural pattern in Chinese where two related morphemes are joined to create an abstract noun with a nuanced meaning. In this case, the first character **实** acts as a modifier, emphasizing authenticity and concreteness, while the core character **质** denotes the fundamental essence or intrinsic quality. Together, they form a single concept translating to "essence," "substance," or "true nature," effectively conveying the idea of the real, underlying quality of something as opposed to its superficial appearance. This formation exemplifies how Chinese often constructs precise philosophical or analytical terms through logical semantic combinations.