The word 迫害 (pòhài, meaning "persecution") is a compound formed by combining two characters: 迫 (pò), which means "to force" or "to compel", and 害 (hài), which means "to harm" or "to injure". Together, they create a logical semantic compound where the action of forcing (迫) leads directly to the result of harm (害), thus encapsulating the concept of systematically oppressing or causing suffering to someone, typically for their beliefs or identity. This structure is common in Chinese, where two meaningful characters are joined to form a new, more specific term.