The Chinese word "三月" (sānyuè), meaning "March" or "the third month," is formed through a straightforward numerical-noun compounding common in the language: the number "三" (sān, meaning "three") is directly combined with the noun "月" (yuè, meaning "moon" or "month"). This structure literally translates to "three-moon/month," reflecting its origin in a lunisolar calendar system where months were tied to lunar cycles. It is an example of a determinative compound, where the numeral specifies and quantifies the general concept of "month" to indicate its sequential position in the annual cycle, and it now corresponds to the third month in the modern Gregorian calendar.