The word "唱片" is formed conceptually by combining two ideas: "唱" (chàng), which means "to sing" or "to vocalize", and "片" (piàn), which denotes a flat, thin piece or slice of something. When merged, these characters create a new concept for a physical object, a flat disc or plate that "sings" or produces sound, directly and vividly picturing a phonograph record or disc used for audio playback.