The word "酒盅" is formed by combining the character "酒", meaning alcohol or wine, with "盅", meaning a small handleless cup. "酒" incorporates the water radical "氵" to indicate liquid and the phonetic component "酉" for sound. "盅" uses the dish radical "皿" to signify a container and the phonetic "中". Together, they create a compound noun where "酒" specifies the content and "盅" the vessel, resulting in the literal meaning "wine cup".