结 (jié) means "to tie, to form, to conclude" — as in tying threads together — and 果 (guǒ) means "fruit." Together they paint a vivid image: the fruit that forms at the end of a process, i.e., the outcome. This compound appears in Classical Chinese texts and carries the Buddhist philosophical concept of 因果 (yīnguǒ), "cause and effect."

The pairing of 因 (cause) and 果 (fruit/result) is central to Buddhist thought in Chinese culture, giving 结果 a deeper resonance beyond everyday usage. In spoken Mandarin, 结果 is also widely used as a narrative connector — similar to "and then, wouldn't you know it" — often with a slightly ironic or surprising twist, e.g., 我去找他，结果他不在 ("I went to find him, and of course he wasn't there").