The word 手段 is formed through conceptual compounding, where the first character 手 (shǒu, meaning "hand") provides the concrete image of direct physical action or capability, and the second character 段 (duàn, meaning "segment", "stage", or "method") introduces the idea of a subdivided plan or a specific phase of execution. Together, they create a new, abstract meaning that metaphorically extends from the literal "hand" to represent the "methods" or "means" by which something is accomplished, picturing the hands as the instruments carrying out a planned series of actions or techniques.