铜牌

• Pinyin: tóng pái
• Hanzi breakdown: 铜 = 钅(metal) + 同 (same, phonetic); 牌 = 片 (slice) + 卑 (low)

Meaning

Bronze medal. The third-place award in competitions, particularly athletic events.

Specifically refers to the medal awarded to third-place finishers in sports competitions and other contests. Part of the medal hierarchy: 金牌 (gold), 银牌 (silver), 铜牌 (bronze). Can be used metaphorically for third-place results in other contexts.

Examples

1. 虽然只拿了铜牌，但这已经是我们队历史上最好的成绩了。 Although we only got the bronze medal, this is already the best result in our team's history.
2. 她在奥运会体操比赛中获得了一枚铜牌。 She won a bronze medal in the Olympic gymnastics competition.
3. 输掉半决赛后，两支队伍将争夺铜牌。 After losing the semifinals, the two teams will compete for the bronze medal.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国队在这个项目上获得了铜牌。(The Chinese team won a bronze medal in this event.)
• 铜牌得主表示下次要争取金牌。(The bronze medalist said they would strive for gold next time.)

Don't Say

• 他考试得了铜牌 — 铜牌专指体育或正式比赛的奖牌，考试成绩不用这个词

Origin & History

Compound of 铜 (copper/bronze) + 牌 (medal, plate). Bronze has been used for third-place medals since the modern Olympic tradition began.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal