棒球
bàngqiú · HSK 7
baseball
⚾ 棒球 = stick + ball; bàng even sounds like the bang of a bat
棒 (bàng) means stick or club — doubles as bat. 球 (qiú) means ball. Stick-ball = baseball. The sound bàng echoes the crack when bat meets ball.
棒 — wood radical 木 + 奉 (offer/hold)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 木 gives the meaning (a wooden stick or club), while 奉 supplies the sound (bàng/fèng). Originally referring to a wooden staff or cudgel, the meaning later extended colloquially to 'excellent' or 'great,' as in something strong and impressive.
球 — jade radical 玉/王 + qiu 求 (phonetic)
球 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 王 is the 'jade' radical, indicating the original meaning: a fine piece of jade or a jade ornament. The right side 求 supplies the sound 'qiu'. Over time the meaning broadened from a jade sphere to any round object, and today it most commonly means 'ball' or 'globe'.