The Chinese word 赌局 (dǔjú) is a compound noun formed by combining the character 赌 (dǔ), meaning "to gamble" or "to bet," with the character 局 (jú), which in this context means "a situation," "a setup," or "a session of an activity." Together, they create a new semantic unit where 赌 modifies the type of 局, literally meaning a "gambling situation" or "betting setup," and by extension refers specifically to a gambling game, match, or the event/occasion where wagering takes place. This formation follows a common modifier-head structure in Chinese, where the first element specifies the nature of the second.