The word 认为 (rènwéi) is formed by combining two individual characters, each contributing its core meaning to create a new, composite idea. The first character, 认 (rèn), carries the fundamental sense of "to recognize" or "to acknowledge". The second, 为 (wéi), essentially means "to be" or "to act as". When fused, the concept logically progresses from "to recognize (something) as being (a certain way)" to the integrated meaning of "to think" or "to believe". It is a direct conceptual fusion where one character's action is applied to the other's state of being.