The Chinese word 歇斯底里 (xiēsīdǐlǐ) is a direct phonetic transliteration of the English term "hysteria," formed by selecting a series of Chinese characters whose pronunciations, when combined, approximate the sound of the original foreign word. The characters themselves—歇 (xiē, "to rest"), 斯 (sī, a particle), 底 (dǐ, "bottom"), and 里 (lǐ, "inside")—are used purely for their sound and do not contribute their literal meanings to the term's definition; instead, they collectively represent the state of uncontrollable emotional excess described by "hysteria," showcasing a common method in Chinese for assimilating foreign concepts through sound-based borrowing.