The Chinese word 饥渴 (jīkě) is formed through the compounding of two individual characters, each representing a fundamental physical lack: 饥 (jī) meaning "hunger" (for food) and 渴 (kě) meaning "thirst" (for water). When combined, they first express the literal, severe state of being both hungry and thirsty. However, through metaphorical extension, a common process in Chinese word formation, the compound has acquired a broader, figurative meaning. It now commonly describes an intense, almost desperate desire or longing for something abstract, such as knowledge, love, success, or experience, effectively comparing that psychological yearning to the primal urgency of physical deprivation.