The Chinese word 赛跑 (sàipǎo, meaning "to race" or "running race") is a compound word formed by combining two morphemes: 赛 (sài), which means "to compete" or "contest", and 跑 (pǎo), which means "to run". Together, they create a verb-noun structure where the first character defines the action (competing) and the second specifies the mode (running), resulting in the combined meaning of a competitive running event or the act of participating in such a race. This method of combining meaningful syllables is typical in Mandarin for forming precise terms for activities or concepts.