The word 虚构 is formed by combining two characters: 虚, which conveys emptiness, falsity, or that which is not real, and 构, which means to construct, compose, or fabricate. Conceptually, it marries the notion of "the unreal" with the act of "building", creating a powerful mental image of constructing something from nothingness or fashioning a narrative or idea that lacks a basis in factual reality. It is a direct and metaphorical encapsulation of the act of invention or fabrication.