The Chinese word **悬念** (xuánniàn), meaning "suspense" or "a cliffhanger," is a compound formed through semantic combination. The first character, **悬** (xuán), carries the core meaning of "to hang" or "to suspend," implying something left dangling or unresolved. The second character, **念** (niàn), means "thought," "idea," or "concern." When combined, they create a vivid metaphorical concept: literally "suspended thoughts," which perfectly captures the feeling of having one's thoughts and anxieties left hanging in anticipation of an outcome, thus directly expressing the state of narrative suspense or a lingering worry.