The Chinese word 闹剧 (nàojù), meaning "farce" or "sham", is a compound noun formed through semantic combination. The first character, 闹 (nào), carries meanings of "noisy", "lively", or "to make a scene", evoking chaos and unrest. The second character, 剧 (jù), means "drama" or "play". When combined, they create a literal meaning of "noisy drama", which figuratively extends to describe a ridiculous, absurd, or chaotic real-life event that resembles a poorly orchestrated theatrical farce, thereby capturing both the theatrical and the disorderly aspects of such situations.