The Chinese word 故宫 is formed by combining the character 故, meaning 'old,' which is constructed from the components 古 (ancient) and 攵 (a radical often associated with action), with the character 宫, meaning 'palace,' derived from a pictographic symbol of a building with multiple rooms. Together, these characters create the literal meaning 'old palace,' specifically referring to the Forbidden City, the historical imperial palace in Beijing.