The word 拍照 is formed by combining two characters, each representing a core action in the process of photography: 拍 (pāi) means "to pat" or "to clap", here metaphorically extended to the physical act of pressing or clicking a camera's shutter; 照 (zhào) means "to shine" or "to illuminate", directly referring to the casting of light onto a subject or film. Together, they create a vivid, sequential compound meaning "to take a picture", literally capturing the idea of "patting (the shutter) to illuminate (for an image)".