决赛
juésài · HSK 3
final
🏆 决 = decide + 赛 = match → the deciding match (the final)
决 carries the sense of deciding or settling; 赛 means contest or match. Together they name the contest that settles the title — a final, playoff, or runoff. Same 决 appears in 决定 (decide) and 解决 (resolve).
赛 — roof 宀 + 共 (together) + shell 貝
赛 originally meant offering thanks or recompense to spirits, written with 貝 (cowrie/money) suggesting tribute or payment. The upper part acts as the phonetic component. Over time the meaning shifted from ritual repayment to 'compete' or 'contest,' as in matches between rivals.