The Chinese word 名牌 (míngpái), meaning "brand-name" or "famous brand", is a compound noun formed through the combination of two meaningful characters: 名 (míng), which means "name", "reputation", or "famous", and 牌 (pái), which means "plate", "signboard", or "brand". Together, they create a modifier-head structure where 名 acts as the modifier describing the type of 牌, essentially a "name-brand" or a "brand of repute". This formation logically follows the conceptual blend of a distinguished name (名) attached to a label or trademark (牌), a common pattern in Chinese for creating terms that denote high-quality, commercially recognized products.