头 tóu head
head; top; end; chief
How it came to be
The full form is a dish for the sound beside a head. The simple form keeps neither: big with two marks on top, chosen for being four strokes instead of sixteen.
How it is used
- The head: 头发 (tóufa) hair, 头痛 (tóutòng) headache, 点头 (diǎntóu) nod.
- Also 'top/end/chief' - 头等 (tóuděng) first-class, 头儿 (tóur) the boss.
- Very common toneless noun suffix (tou): 石头 (shítou) stone, 馒头 (mántou) steamed bun, 木头 (mùtou) wood.
Characters built with 头
Words with 头
- 头发tóufahair (on the head)HSK 3
- 头痛tóutòngto have a headacheHSK 4
- 抬头táitóuto raise one's headHSK 4
- 点头diǎntóuto nodHSK 4
- 馒头mántousteamed bunHSK 4
- 低头dītóuto bow the headHSK 5
- 木头mùtouslow-wittedHSK 5
- 石头shítoustoneHSK 5
- 里头lǐtouinsideHSK 5
- 口头kǒutóuoralHSK 6
- 回头huítóuto turn roundHSK 6
- 头脑tóunǎobrainsHSK 6
- 开头kāitóubeginningHSK 6
- 摄像头shèxiàngtóuwebcamHSK 6
- 枕头zhěntoupillowHSK 6
- 码头mǎtóuwharfHSK 6
- 舌头shétoutongueHSK 6
- 街头jiētóustreetHSK 6
- 钟头zhōngtóuhourHSK 6
- 镜头jìngtóucamera lensHSK 6
- 骨头gǔtouboneHSK 6
- 一头yìtóuone headHSK 7
- 个头儿gètóursizeHSK 7
- 交头接耳jiāotóu-jiē’ěrto whisper to one another's earHSK 7
- 从头cóngtóuanewHSK 7
- 关头guāntóujunctureHSK 7
- 出头chūtóuto get out of a predicamentHSK 7
- 到头来dàotóuláiin the endHSK 7
- 头号tóuhàofirst rateHSK 7
- 头头是道tóutóu-shìdàoclear and logicalHSK 7
- 头条tóutiáoToutiao, personalized content recommendation appHSK 7
- 尽头jìntóuendHSK 7
- 带头dàitóuto take the leadHSK 7
- 手头shǒutóuon handHSK 7
- 掉头diàotóuto turn one's headHSK 7
- 过头guòtóuto overdo itHSK 7
- 丫头yātougirlHSK 8
- 兆头zhàotouomenHSK 8
- 劲头jìntóuenthusiasmHSK 8
- 势头shìtoupowerHSK 8
Example sentences
- 头发干了。 Tóufa gān le.Her hair is dry now.
- 他感冒了，头痛得厉害。 Tā gǎnmào le, tóu tòngde lìhai.He caught a cold and has a bad headache.
- 木头是很好的建筑材料。 Mùtou shì hěn hǎo de jiànzhù cáiliào.Wood is a very good construction material.