The word 行动 is formed through a logical and conceptual combination of its two component characters: 行, which primarily means "to walk" or "to move", and 动, which means "to act" or "to set in motion". Together, they create a compound where the first character establishes a foundational concept of movement or progression, and the second character reinforces and specifies it with a sense of action and activation. This union merges the ideas of physical movement and purposeful activity, resulting in a holistic meaning, "to act" or "to take action", that is more nuanced than either character alone, effectively capturing the transition from intention or potential into realized, purposeful motion.