The word 靶子 (bǎzi), meaning "target," is formed through a common Mandarin morphological process where the core meaning-bearing character 靶 (bǎ), which historically referred to a leather target in archery and carries the general sense of "target," is combined with the suffix 子 (zi). This suffix 子, often pronounced in the neutral tone, frequently attaches to nouns to form a concrete, everyday object without significantly altering the core meaning of the root character. In this case, it transforms the more formal or standalone concept of 靶 into the more colloquial and specific noun 靶子, denoting a physical object used for aiming practice or as a goal, thereby following a standard pattern in Chinese for creating familiar, concrete nouns.