The word "零和博弈" is formed by combining the character 零 (líng), meaning "zero", with 和 (hé), meaning "sum", to create the concept "zero-sum", which then modifies 博弈 (bóyì), meaning "game" or "contest". This construction directly specifies a type of interaction where the total gains and losses among participants equal zero, resulting in a descriptive compound term for a zero-sum game.