sài

to compete

competition; match; to surpass; better than; superior to; to excel

Roof (宀) + treasure (贝) = compete for a prize

贝 (shell/money) anchors the idea of something valuable being staked or wagered, evoking the competitive spirit of winning a prize. 宀 here contributes to the sound rather than the meaning.

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RoofPhonetic
ShellSemantic

Words with 赛

迳赛

jìng sài

track

选美比赛

xuǎn měi bǐ sài

beauty contest

邀请赛

yāo qǐng sài

invitation tournament (e.g. between schools or firms)

里弗赛德

lǐ fú sài dé

Riverside

锦标赛

jǐn biāo sài

championship contest

开赛

kāi sài

to start a match

阿克赛钦

ā kè sài qīn

Aksai Chin, a disputed region in the Tibetan plateau

附加赛

fù jiā sài

additional competition

霍赛

huò sài

Jose (name)

预赛

yù sài

preliminary competition

饭后一支烟,赛过活神仙

fàn hòu yī zhī yān , sài guò huó shén xiān

have a smoke after each meal and you will surpass the immortals (proverb)

马拉松赛

mǎ lā sōng sài

marathon race

More characters with 宀