赢得
yíngdé · HSK 4
to win; to gain
🏆 赢 (win) + 得 (obtain) = win and obtain, i.e. nail it down
赢 means to win or gain; 得 means to get or obtain. Together 赢得 stacks the two synonyms for emphasis: not just winning but securing the prize. Used for trophies, contracts, applause, respect — anything you carry off after a contest.
赢 — 亡 + 口 + 月 + 貝 + 凡
赢 is a complex compound traditionally analyzed as five parts representing qualities needed to win: 亡 (caution about loss), 口 (communication), 月 (time/patience), 貝 (money/resources), and 凡 (an ordinary, balanced mind). Originally meaning to gain or have a surplus, it came to mean 'to win' or 'profit'.
得 — 彳 (step) + 旦 (sun/day) + 寸 (hand)
Originally depicted a hand 寸 reaching for a cowrie shell 貝 (later simplified to 旦), with 彳 'step' added to show going out and obtaining something. The core meaning is 'to get' or 'obtain'. The reading děi extends this to 'must/have to' — what one is obliged to get done.