The Chinese word **饮酒** (yǐn jiǔ) is a verb-object compound formed by combining the verb **饮** (yǐn), meaning "to drink," with its object **酒** (jiǔ), meaning "alcohol" or "wine." This structure directly follows the logical action-target order common in Chinese grammar, creating a semantic unit that means "to drink alcohol." It is a classical and slightly formal term, often used in literary or set phrases, contrasting with the more common single-character verb **喝** (hē) used in everyday speech for drinking beverages.