牌

pái

signboard; plaque; plate; tablet (CL:塊|块[kuai4])

brand; trademark (CL:個|个[ge4]); mahjong tile; domino; playing card (CL:張|张[zhang1]); (bound form) fixed pattern for lyrics or set melody in classical poetry or music (used in 詞牌|词牌[ci2 pai2] and 曲牌[qu3 pai2])

flat slab (片) + sound (卑) = signboard, card, or tile

片 is a thin, flat slice or slab — the perfect basis for anything that functions as a flat, displayed object. 卑 mainly contributes the sound pái; the meaning rides entirely on the flat-slab radical.

片+卑→牌
卑LowPhonetic
片A thin flat pieceSemantic

这家店的牌子很老,大家都信任它。

zhè jiā diàn de pái zi hěn lǎo , dà jiā dōu xìn rèn tā 。

This shop's brand is very old; everyone trusts it.

他们围坐在桌子旁边打牌,玩得很开心。

tā men wéi zuò zài zhuō zi páng biān dǎ pái , wán de hěn kāi xīn 。

They sat around the table playing cards and had a great time.

Words with 牌

揭牌

jiē pái

to unveil the plaque for (a school, shop, stadium etc); to inaugurate; to officially open

骨牌

gǔ pái

dominoes

车牌

chē pái

vehicle license plate

品牌

pǐn pái

brand name

摊牌

tān pái

to lay one's cards on the table

牌匾

pái biǎn

board (attached to a wall)

令牌环网

lìng pái huán wǎng

token ring network

头牌

tóu pái

tablet announcing the name of leading actor in a theatrical production

招牌

zhāo pai

signboard

告示牌

gào shì pái

notice

发牌

fā pái

to deal (cards)

酉牌时分

yǒu pái shí fēn

5-7 pm

More characters with 片

版牒牍牖