The Chinese word 借酒浇愁 is constructed from four characters: 借 meaning 'to use,' 酒 meaning 'wine,' 浇 meaning 'to pour,' and 愁 meaning 'sorrow.' It forms a verbal phrase where 借酒 serves as the means ('using wine') and 浇愁 as the action and object ('pouring away sorrow'), literally translating to 'use wine to pour away sorrow,' metaphorically expressing the act of drowning one's sorrows in alcohol.