The Chinese word **拍子 (pāizi)** is a compound noun formed through semantic combination, where the first character **拍 (pāi)**, meaning "to clap" or "to beat," specifies the core action, and the second character **子 (zi)** acts as a nominalizer—a common suffix that transforms verbs or other elements into concrete nouns. Together, they create a new word meaning "a baton or tool for beating time," such as a conductor's baton, a table tennis paddle (which 'beats' the ball), or more generally, a "beat" or "rhythm" in music. This structure follows a typical Chinese word-formation pattern where a verb-object or modifier-head relationship is established, with **子** cementing the term as a tangible object or concept.