欲盖弥彰 is formed by the direct combination of four characters: 欲 (to desire), 盖 (to cover), 弥 (more), and 彰 (conspicuous). It originates from a specific historical account in the classical text "Zuozhuan", where the phrase describes an action of trying to conceal a fault, which instead amplifies its visibility. The formation sequentially presents the intention to hide followed by the result of increased exposure, creating a cause-effect structure within the idiom.