The word 酒吧 (jiǔbā), meaning "bar" or "pub", is formed through a clever and common process of combining a meaningful Chinese character with a character chosen primarily for its sound. The first part, 酒 (jiǔ), means "alcohol", directly conveying the core product. The second part, 吧 (bā), has no inherent meaning here related to drinking; it is used solely because its pronunciation closely mimics the English word "bar". Thus, the word is a hybrid creation: one half provides the meaning (alcohol) and the other half borrows the foreign sound (bar), together forming a new, readily understood term for a Western-style establishment.