tóngpái: 铜牌 - Bronze Medal

• Keywords: tóngpái, 铜牌, bronze medal, third place, Chinese medal, Olympics, sports competition, award, 铜, 牌, Chinese for third place
• Summary: Learn how to say “bronze medal” in Chinese with the word 铜牌 (tóngpái). This page breaks down the characters 铜 (bronze) and 牌 (plaque/plate), explaining how they combine to mean the third-place prize awarded in sports like the Olympics, academic competitions, and more. Discover the cultural significance of winning a 铜牌 in China and see practical examples of how to use it in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tóng pái
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A medal made of bronze, awarded for third place in a competition.
• In a Nutshell: 铜牌 (tóngpái) is the direct and standard Chinese word for a “bronze medal.” It's used in exactly the same contexts as in English—primarily for athletic events like the Olympics, but also for any competition that awards prizes for the top three finishers. The word literally translates to “copper/bronze plate,” making it easy to remember.

• 铜 (tóng): This character means copper or bronze. The radical on the left, 钅(jīn), is the “metal” radical, telling you it's a type of metal. The component on the right, 同 (tóng), provides the phonetic sound.
• 牌 (pái): This character means a plate, tablet, or sign. Think of a nameplate, a signpost, or a brand牌子 (páizi).
• Together, 铜 (tóng) + 牌 (pái) create a very logical word: “bronze plate,” which is an accurate physical description of a bronze medal.

The concept of awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals is a relatively modern, globalized tradition, heavily promoted by the Olympic Games. In China, this system has been fully embraced, and winning medals on the international stage is a matter of immense national pride. While in some Western cultures, the mantra “it's the taking part that counts” is prevalent, in China, the concept of 为国争光 (wèi guó zhēng guāng)—“to win glory for the country”—is a powerful motivator. A gold medal, 金牌 (jīnpái), is the ultimate achievement. However, winning a 铜牌 (tóngpái) is still a massive accomplishment. It signifies that an athlete or team is among the top three in the world, bringing significant honor to themselves, their family, and the nation. It is celebrated as a symbol of hard work, dedication, and success, not as a consolation prize. To win any medal is to succeed; the 铜牌 is the tangible proof of elite status.

铜牌 (tóngpái) is used almost exclusively in the context of competitions.

• Sports: This is the most common usage. You will hear it constantly during news coverage of the 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì) (Olympics), 亚运会 (Yàyùnhuì) (Asian Games), and other national or international sporting events.
• Other Competitions: It is also used for non-athletic contests, such as a mathematics Olympiad (数学奥林匹克), a music competition (音乐比赛), or even a video game tournament.
• Connotation: The connotation is overwhelmingly positive. It represents excellence and high achievement.

• Example 1:
  • 她在奥运会上赢得了一枚铜牌。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài Àoyùnhuì shàng yíngdéle yī méi tóngpái.
  • English: She won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games.
  • Analysis: A classic and straightforward example of reporting a win. Note the measure word for medals is 枚 (méi).
• Example 2:
  • 虽然他只拿了铜牌，但我们依然为他感到骄傲。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán tā zhǐ nále tóngpái, dàn wǒmen yīrán wèi tā gǎndào jiāo'ào.
  • English: Although he only got the bronze medal, we are still proud of him.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows that while a bronze medal isn't first place, it's still an achievement worthy of pride.
• Example 3:
  • 这次比赛竞争太激烈了，能拿到铜牌已经很不容易了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì bǐsài jìngzhēng tài jīliè le, néng nádào tóngpái yǐjīng hěn bù róngyì le.
  • English: This competition was so fierce; just being able to get a bronze medal was already very difficult.
  • Analysis: This emphasizes the value of a bronze medal by highlighting the difficulty of the competition.
• Example 4:
  • 铜牌得主激动地向观众挥手。
  • Pinyin: Tóngpái dézhǔ jīdòng de xiàng guānzhòng huīshǒu.
  • English: The bronze medal winner excitedly waved to the audience.
  • Analysis: Here, 得主 (dézhǔ) is added to mean “winner” or “recipient,” creating the phrase “铜牌得主” (bronze medal winner).
• Example 5:
  • 中国队在游泳项目中又获得了一枚铜牌。
  • Pinyin: Zhōngguó duì zài yóuyǒng xiàngmù zhōng yòu huòdéle yī méi tóngpái.
  • English: The Chinese team won another bronze medal in the swimming event.
  • Analysis: This is typical phrasing you might hear in a sports news report. 项目 (xiàngmù) means “event” or “discipline.”
• Example 6:
  • 他的目标是至少赢得一块铜牌。
  • Pinyin: Tā de mùbiāo shì zhìshǎo yíngdé yī kuài tóngpái.
  • English: His goal is to win at least one bronze medal.
  • Analysis: Shows how 铜牌 can be part of a personal goal. The measure word 块 (kuài) can also be used for medals, though 枚 (méi) is more formal and common.
• Example 7:
  • 除了金牌和银牌，他还收藏了很多铜牌。
  • Pinyin: Chúle jīnpái hé yínpái, tā hái shōucángle hěn duō tóngpái.
  • English: Besides gold and silver medals, he has also collected many bronze medals.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly places 铜牌 in the hierarchy of medals.
• Example 8:
  • 你看，这枚铜牌上刻着他的名字。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn, zhè méi tóngpái shàng kèzhe tā de míngzì.
  • English: Look, his name is engraved on this bronze medal.
  • Analysis: This example talks about the physical object itself. 刻 (kè) means “to engrave.”
• Example 9:
  • 获得铜牌的选手是来自巴西的运动员。
  • Pinyin: Huòdé tóngpái de xuǎnshǒu shì láizì Bāxī de yùndòngyuán.
  • English: The contestant who received the bronze medal is an athlete from Brazil.
  • Analysis: 选手 (xuǎnshǒu) is another word for contestant or player. 获得 (huòdé) is a formal way to say “to obtain” or “to receive.”
• Example 10:
  • 教练对队员们能拿到铜牌的结果表示满意。
  • Pinyin: Jiàoliàn duì duìyuánmen néng nádào tóngpái de jiéguǒ biǎoshì mǎnyì.
  • English: The coach expressed satisfaction with the result of the team members being able to get the bronze medal.
  • Analysis: This shows the perspective of a coach, where a bronze medal can be a very positive outcome.

• Don't Separate the Characters: A common mistake for beginners is to think of `铜 (tóng)` alone as “bronze medal.” You cannot say “我赢得一个铜 (Wǒ yíngdé yīgè tóng).” This means “I won a copper” and is grammatically incorrect and nonsensical. You must use the full, two-character word 铜牌 (tóngpái).
• General vs. Specific: 铜牌 (tóngpái) is a *specific* type of medal. The general word for “medal” or “prize medal” is 奖牌 (jiǎngpái). If you don't know which medal someone won (gold, silver, or bronze), you would ask: “你拿到奖牌了吗?” (Did you get a medal?). 铜牌 answers *which* medal they got.
• Not for Other “Plates”: While 牌 (pái) is used in words like 车牌 (chēpái) (license plate) and 门牌 (ménpái) (door number plate), the context and the preceding character 铜 (tóng) make the meaning of 铜牌 unambiguous.

• 金牌 (jīnpái) - Gold medal. The award for first place; the ultimate goal in a competition.
• 银牌 (yínpái) - Silver medal. The award for second place.
• 奖牌 (jiǎngpái) - Medal / Prize medal. The general, overarching category that includes gold, silver, and bronze medals.
• 季军 (jìjūn) - Third place (the person). The title given to the winner of the 铜牌.
• 冠军 (guànjūn) - Champion (the person who wins first place).
• 亚军 (yàjūn) - Runner-up (the person who wins second place).
• 比赛 (bǐsài) - Competition / Match. The event where a 铜牌 can be won.
• 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì) - The Olympic Games. The most famous event for awarding medals.
• 运动员 (yùndòngyuán) - Athlete. The person who competes for a 铜牌.
• 为国争光 (wèi guó zhēng guāng) - To win glory/honor for the country. A key cultural concept explaining the immense importance placed on winning medals in China.