奖牌
jiǎng pái · HSK 7
medal (awarded as a prize)
🥇 奖 = prize/award + 牌 = plate/tablet, so a medal is an award-plate you wear
奖 means prize or award (as in 奖学金, scholarship); 牌 means a flat plate, tablet, or sign (the same 牌 in 招牌, shop sign). Put together they name the flat metal plate handed out as a prize: a medal.
奖 — 将 jiāng (phonetic) + 大 (big)
Originally written 獎 with 犬 (dog) below 將, suggesting urging a dog onward—hence 'encourage, exhort.' The simplified form replaces 犬 with 大. Meaning extended from 'encourage' to 'reward' and then to 'prize, award.'
牌 — 片 (slice/tablet) + 卑 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 片 'slice, thin board' gives the meaning of a flat tablet or plaque, while 卑 supplies the sound. Originally referred to wooden or bamboo tablets used as signs or labels, later extending to playing cards, brand names, and license plates.