The Chinese word "海湾" is formed by combining two characters: "海", which means "sea", and "湾", which means "bay" or "gulf". This creates a compound word where both characters contribute their inherent meanings to depict a specific geographical feature, a body of water that is part of the sea but is partially enclosed by land, such as a bay or gulf. This process of merging meaningful characters to convey a precise concept is a fundamental way in which Chinese vocabulary is constructed.