The word 剧情 (jùqíng), meaning "plot" or "storyline", is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: 剧 (jù), which means "drama", "play", or "theatrical performance", and 情 (qíng), which carries the meanings of "emotion", "situation", or "circumstance". Together, they create a new, specific concept where 情 modifies the type of "situation" or "narrative thread" being referred to, namely, the one belonging to a 剧 (drama). Thus, the formation is logical and semantic, directly translating to "the circumstances/developments of a drama", which succinctly defines its core meaning as the sequence of events and emotional arc within a story.