招牌
zhāopái · HSK 7
signboard
🪧 招 (beckon) + 牌 (board/sign) = the board that beckons customers in: a shop sign
招 means to beckon or call over, 牌 is a board, plate, or placard. Together a 招牌 is the fascia that calls passers-by into a shop. By extension it also means a signature dish or trademark thing a place is known for.
招 — hand radical 扌 + 召 (call)
招 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 supplies the meaning—an action done with the hand—while 召 (to summon, call) gives both phonetic value and reinforces the sense. Together they depict beckoning someone with a hand gesture, extended to 'recruit' or 'attract'.
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.