The Chinese word **中饭** (zhōngfàn), meaning "lunch," is a straightforward compound noun formed through semantic combination. It consists of the character **中** (zhōng), meaning "middle" or "midday," and **饭** (fàn), meaning "meal" or "cooked rice." Thus, the term literally translates to "middle meal," logically designating it as the meal eaten in the middle of the day. This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where time indicators are attached to core nouns (like 早饭 for "breakfast" and 晚饭 for "dinner") to create clear, concept-based vocabulary.