The Chinese word **盐水** (yánshuǐ), meaning "saltwater" or "brine," is a straightforward **compound word** formed by combining two independent, meaningful characters: **盐** (yán), which means "salt," and **水** (shuǐ), which means "water." This formation follows a common **modifier-head structure** in Mandarin, where the first element (**盐**) describes or specifies the type of the second element (**水**), effectively creating a new, specific term for "water that contains salt" or "saline solution."