The Chinese word "照片" (zhàopiàn), meaning "photograph", is formed by combining two characters: "照", which conveys the idea of shining light or capturing an image through light, as in photography, and "片", which denotes a thin, flat piece or slice. Together, these characters conceptually represent a photograph as a flat image produced by the action of light being captured, essentially blending the process of taking a picture with the physical form of the resulting print or digital image.