竞赛
jìngsài · HSK 5
competition
🏆 竞 = compete + 赛 = race/match; together: a contest
竞 means to compete or vie, and 赛 means race, match, or tournament. Stacking the two doubles down on the competitive sense, giving 竞赛 the meaning of a formal contest or competition.
赛 — roof 宀 + 共 (together) + shell 貝
赛 originally meant offering thanks or recompense to spirits, written with 貝 (cowrie/money) suggesting tribute or payment. The upper part acts as the phonetic component. Over time the meaning shifted from ritual repayment to 'compete' or 'contest,' as in matches between rivals.