The word 引导 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two constituent characters. The first character, 引, originally depicted a bow being drawn, carrying the core idea of "to pull" or "to draw forth". The second character, 导, combines the radical for "to go" or "movement" with a component suggesting a pathway or channel, giving it the sense of "to guide" or "to conduct". Thus, the compound visually and notionally merges the action of pulling forward or initiating movement (引) with the action of directing that movement along a path (导), resulting in the integrated meaning of "to lead" or "to guide".