牌照
pái zhào · HSK 7
licence plate
🪪 牌 = plate/sign + 照 = permit (照 also means license) = an official plate or licence
牌 is a board, card, or plate (think shop sign or number plate), and 照 carries the sense of an official permit. Together 牌照 is the licence itself, whether a business permit or the metal plate on a car.
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.
照 — 昭 (bright) phonetic + 灬 (fire radical)
照 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The bottom 灬 is a variant of 火 'fire', giving the meaning of light or illumination, while 昭 'bright' on top supplies the sound 'zhào' and reinforces the brightness sense. It originally meant to shine light on something, later extending to 'reflect', 'photograph', and 'according to'.