The word 歉意 is formed by combining two characters: 歉, which carries the core meaning of "apology" or "regret", and 意, which denotes "feeling", "meaning", or "sentiment". They are fused not merely as separate ideas placed side-by-side, but to create a single, unified concept where the feeling itself is defined by regret and the intent to make amends. It is the conceptual embodiment of the specific sentiment one intends to convey when offering an apology.