The Chinese word 疏远 (shūyuǎn) is a compound formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings to create a more nuanced and intensified concept. The first character, 疏 (shū), originally depicts "clearing a path" and carries the core meanings of "sparse", "distant", or "to neglect". The second character, 远 (yuǎn), simply means "far" or "distant" in a physical or metaphorical sense. When paired, they create a verb meaning "to become estranged" or "to drift apart", where 疏 emphasizes the action of creating emotional or relational distance, and 远 reinforces the resulting state of being far apart, together perfectly encapsulating the process and outcome of alienation.