The Chinese phrase "膘肥体壮" is formed by the sequential combination of four characters: "膘" refers to the layer of fat on an animal, "肥" means fat or plump, "体" means body, and "壮" means strong. These are grouped into two parallel pairs, "膘肥" and "体壮", which jointly depict an animal as having abundant fat and a sturdy body, conveying a literal description of excellent physical condition.