牌子
pái zi · HSK 3
sign
🪧 牌子 = 牌 (plaque/card) + 子 (noun suffix); a sign or brand-name plaque
牌 is the same character as in 名牌 (name brand) and 扑克牌 (playing cards) — anything flat and labelled. Add the noun-suffix 子 and you get 牌子: the sign, label, or brand itself.
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.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.