The word "蛋糕" (dàngāo) for "cake" is formed by combining two meaningful components: "蛋" (dàn), which means "egg", and "糕" (gāo), which is a general term for a soft, baked or steamed food like a pudding or pastry. The word is constructed conceptually by naming the essential, distinctive ingredient ("egg") and pairing it with the category of food it belongs to ("糕"), thus literally and descriptively creating the term for an "egg-pastry" or cake.