The Chinese word 债券 (zhàiquàn), meaning "bond" (as in a financial instrument), is formed through a logical semantic compound structure common in Mandarin. It combines the character 债 (zhài), meaning "debt" or "obligation", with 券 (quàn), meaning "certificate", "ticket", or "document". Therefore, the term literally translates to a "debt certificate", a document that certifies a debt obligation, where the issuer owes the holder a defined sum. This construction follows the standard Chinese word-formation pattern where the first character specifies the category (debt) and the second character specifies the form or instrument (certificate), creating a precise and transparent term for a financial concept.