金牌
jīnpái · HSK 3
gold medal
🥇 金 (gold) + 牌 (plaque/tablet) = gold medal
金 means gold or metal; 牌 means plaque, tablet, or card (also seen in 招牌 signboard, 名牌 name brand). Together: a gold tablet awarded for first place.
金 — roof 亼 + two dots (metal nuggets) + earth 土
Originally a pictograph of metal nuggets buried in the earth beneath a covering, with the two dots representing pieces of ore. It first meant 'metal' broadly, then narrowed to 'gold' as the most precious metal, and by extension 'money'.
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.