The word 建筑师 is formed by combining three characters: 建 (jiàn, meaning "to build" or "to construct"), 筑 (zhù, meaning "to build" or "structure"), and 师 (shī, meaning "master" or "expert"). The first two characters, 建筑, combine to create the core concept of "architecture" or "building". The final character, 师, is then appended to indicate a person who is a specialist or professional in that field, thus forming the complete meaning of "architect", literally, a "building master".