短片
duǎn piàn · HSK 6
short film
🎬 短 (short) + 片 (slice/piece) = a short slice — a clip
短 means short or brief; 片 means a thin slice or piece, and by extension a film or recording. Together: a short piece of footage — a clip or short film. 片 also shows up in 照片 (photo) and 电影片 (movie reel).
短 — arrow 矢 + bean/vessel 豆
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 矢 (arrow) gives the meaning, since arrows were used as a short measuring stick, while 豆 (an ancient stemmed vessel) supplied the sound. From 'short in length' the meaning broadened to 'short' in time, stature, or quality.
片 — right half of 木 (tree split vertically)
Pictograph showing the right half of a tree 木 split down the middle, depicting a thin slice or slab of wood. From this came the meanings 'slice,' 'flat thin piece,' and by extension 'sheet' or 'card.' Its mirror image 爿 represents the left half.