The Chinese word 用膳 is formed by combining the character 用, meaning 'to use' or 'to employ', with 膳, meaning 'meals' or 'prepared food', where 用 acts as the verb indicating the action and 膳 serves as the object, resulting in a literal meaning of 'to use meals' that idiomatically signifies 'to dine' or 'to have a meal', typically in a formal or traditional setting.