The Chinese word "金鱼" (jīnyú), meaning "goldfish," is a transparent compound noun formed by combining the character "金" (jīn), meaning "gold" or "golden," which describes the color, with the character "鱼" (yú), meaning "fish," which denotes the animal. This is a classic example of a modifier-head structure in Chinese morphology, where the first element ("金") modifies and specifies the type of the second, core element ("鱼"), creating a new, specific meaning that is directly derived from the literal sum of its parts: a "gold(en) fish."