The Chinese word **自助餐** (zìzhùcān), meaning "buffet," is a modern compound formed through semantic combination: **自** (zì) means "self," **助** (zhù) means "help" or "assist," and **餐** (cān) means "meal." Literally, it translates to "self-help meal," which perfectly captures the core concept of a dining style where patrons serve themselves from a spread of food, contrasting with traditional served meals. This construction is logical and descriptive, reflecting a direct calque of the Western concept, and exemplifies how modern Chinese often creates new terms by combining existing morphemes to convey novel ideas with immediate transparency.