签
qiān · HSK 5
autograph
✍️ 签 = bamboo 竹 + 佥 (all); a bamboo slip everyone signs
Originally a bamboo tag or label; the 竹 radical on top marks bamboo, and 佥 (qiān, meaning all/together) gives the sound. Today it covers signing your name, autographs, and labels/tags like luggage tickets.
签 — bamboo radical 竹 (⺮) + 佥 (qiān, phonetic)
Originally written 籤, this character depicts bamboo strips (⺮) used as markers, tags, or lots drawn for divination. The component 佥 supplies the sound. Over time the meaning broadened from physical bamboo slips to labels, signatures, and signing one's name.