The word 小酌 is formed by combining the character 小, meaning "small" or "little", with the character 酌, which means "to pour wine" or "to drink alcohol". Here, 小 directly modifies 酌, creating a compound that literally signifies "to drink a small amount of alcohol" or "to engage in light drinking", with the formation relying on the adjectival role of 小 to limit the action denoted by 酌.