The Chinese word **流星** (liúxīng), meaning "shooting star" or "meteor," is a compound noun formed through semantic combination: the first character **流** (liú) means "to flow" or "to move swiftly," and the second character **星** (xīng) means "star." Together, they create a vivid metaphorical image of a star flowing or streaking across the sky, which is a direct and poetic description of the celestial phenomenon where a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and leaves a bright, transient trail of light.