The word 性命 is formed through the conceptual fusion of two profound ideas: 性 (xìng), meaning one's innate nature, inherent character, or essence; and 命 (mìng), meaning life, destiny, or mandate. It does not merely add their meanings but synthesizes them to express the classical Chinese philosophical view of life as a unified whole, where the inner, predetermined essence of a being (性) is inseparable from and manifested through its actual, lived existence and lifespan (命). Thus, it captures life not as a biological fact alone, but as the complete integration of one's fundamental nature with its temporal, destined journey in the world.