The Chinese word **识字** (shí zì) is a verb-object compound formed by combining the verb **识** (shí), meaning "to recognize" or "to know," with the noun **字** (zì), meaning "character" or "written word." Literally, it means "to recognize characters," and by extension, it refers to the act of learning to read or the state of being literate. This formation follows a common grammatical pattern in Chinese where an action (识) is directly applied to its object (字), creating a concise term for the fundamental concept of acquiring written language.