The Chinese word 熏肉 (xūn ròu) is a straightforward compound noun formed by combining the verb 熏 (xūn), meaning "to smoke" or "to fumigate", with the noun 肉 (ròu), meaning "meat". It follows the common Chinese grammatical structure of a modifier (method) + head noun (object), where the first character describes the process applied to the item named by the second. Thus, 熏肉 literally translates to "smoked meat", directly indicating meat that has been preserved or flavored through the smoking process.