铜牌
tóng pái · HSK 6
bronze medal
🥉 铜 copper + 牌 plate/sign = copper medal, i.e. bronze medal
铜 (tóng) means copper or bronze as a metal. 牌 (pái) means a plate, plaque, or badge. Together they literally say copper plate — the third-place medal, made of bronze alloy.
铜 — metal radical 钅 + 同 (tóng)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The metal radical 钅 (金) gives the meaning, indicating a metal, while 同 supplies the sound 'tóng'. Originally referred to copper, one of the earliest metals worked in ancient China, and the character has retained this meaning.
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.