The Chinese word 吸管 (xīguǎn), meaning "drinking straw," is a straightforward compound noun formed by combining two meaningful characters: 吸 (xī), which means "to suck" or "to inhale," and 管 (guǎn), which means "tube" or "pipe." This construction follows a common pattern in Chinese where two independent morphemes are joined to create a new, logical concept—literally, a "suck-tube." The term is semantically transparent, as it directly describes the object's primary function (sucking) and its form (a tubular shape), making it intuitive and easy to understand for native speakers.