How to Write 牌 (pái) — Meaning “Brand / Card / Plate”

Imagine a small piece of wood (片) hanging low (卑) on a door — that's a house number plate. Or think of a playing card (牌) that is "low" in value, like a 2 or 3. This combines the visual of a flat object and the sound "pái."

The left radical 片 is written first: a short left-slanting stroke, then a vertical stroke, then a horizontal, and finally a rightward hook. The right side 卑 has a small horizontal stroke on top, then a left-falling stroke, and a vertical stroke down the middle — make sure the bottom part is balanced. A common mistake is making the left side too wide; keep it narrow so the right side has enough space.

牌 (pái) means brand, card, or plate, seen in everyday items like 品牌 (brand) and 打牌 (play cards). 牍 (dú) refers to a wooden writing tablet or documents, used in ancient China for official records. 牒 (dié) means a formal document or certificate, like a passport, and is more literary. Visually, 牌 uses 片 (slice) plus 卑, while 牍 uses 片 plus 卖 (mài) and 牒 uses 片 plus 枼 (yè).

牌 appears in 品牌 (brand), which is crucial for shopping and marketing in China. 打牌 (play cards or mahjong) is a very popular social activity — people often gather to play mahjong, which uses tiles called 牌. Also, 门牌 (house number) is essential for addresses, so you will see 牌 on doors and buildings everywhere.

Common words containing 牌 include: 品牌 (pǐn pái) — brand; 门牌 (mén pái) — House number plate; 打牌 (dǎ pái) — to play cards or mahjong.