The word 对象 is formed conceptually by combining two characters: 对, which carries meanings of facing, matching, or being a pair, and 象, meaning form, image, or appearance. Together, they create the idea of "the matching form" or "the counterpart that faces you". Historically, this term originated from the context of ritual ceremonies involving paired ivory tablets, evolving to denote a target or a counterpart in a mirrored relationship. This inherent sense of a mirrored, corresponding entity naturally extended into modern usage to mean a romantic partner, the person who is your "other half" or matching counterpart in a relationship.