The word "下棋" (xiàqí), meaning "to play chess" or "to play a board game," is a verb-object compound formed by combining the verb "下" (xià), which literally means "to go down" or "to place," with the noun "棋" (qí), meaning "chess piece" or "board game." In this context, "下" metaphorically extends to the action of moving and placing pieces *down* onto the board, a conceptualization common in Chinese for describing engagement in strategic board games like chess or Go ("下围棋"). Thus, the term literally and functionally describes the act of "placing/moving pieces," which encapsulates the entire activity of playing the game.