The word "片子" is formed through a straightforward morphological process common in Chinese: it combines the root character "片" (piàn), which carries the core meaning of a "thin slice", "flat piece", or "film", with the very common nominal suffix "子" (zi). The suffix "子" adds no independent meaning but functions to concretize the root, turning the abstract concept of a flat, sheet-like form into a common, everyday noun referring to a tangible object, such as a movie film, a photographic negative, a disc, or a medical slide.