The Chinese word **潜水艇** (qiánshuǐtǐng) for "submarine" is a transparent compound noun formed through semantic combination: **潜** means "to dive" or "submerge," **水** means "water," and **艇** means "small boat" or "craft." When combined in sequence, they logically describe a "water-craft that dives/submerges," directly and vividly conveying the function and essence of the vehicle through the literal meanings of its constituent characters.