首 shǒu head
chief; head; first
How it came to be
A head with the hair standing up over it: the nose and face, with two strokes above for the hair or the horns.
How it is used
- Head / chief / first, plus a measure word for songs and poems - 首先 (shǒuxiān) first of all, 首都 (shǒudū) capital city, 一首歌 (yì shǒu gē) a song.
- 首先 is the everyday 'firstly' in listing points, paired with 然后/其次.
- 首要 (shǒuyào) primary/foremost; 元首 (yuánshǒu) head of state.
Characters built with 首
Words with 首
- 首先shǒuxiānfirst (of all)HSK 4
- 首都shǒudūcapital (city)HSK 4
- 首次shǒucìfirstHSK 5
- 首要shǒuyàothe most importantHSK 6
- 元首yuánshǒuhead of stateHSK 7
- 回首huíshǒuto turn aroundHSK 7
- 自首zìshǒuto give oneself upHSK 7
- 部首bùshǒuradical of a Chinese characterHSK 7
- 首付shǒufùdown paymentHSK 7
- 首批shǒupīfirst batchHSK 7
- 首脑shǒunǎohead (of state)HSK 7
- 俯首fǔshǒuto bend one's headHSK 8
- 罪魁祸首zuìkuí-huòshǒucriminal ringleaderHSK 9
- 首创shǒuchuàngto originateHSK 9
- 首席shǒuxíchief (representative, correspondent etc)HSK 9
- 首府shǒufǔcapital city of an autonomous regionHSK 9
- 首饰shǒushìjewelryHSK 9
Example sentences
- 我在会上首先发言。 Wǒ zài huì shang shǒuxiān fāyán.I spoke first at the meeting.
- 北京是中国的首都。 Běijīng shì Zhōngguó de shǒudū.Beijing is China's capital.
- 广州是广东省的首府。 Guǎngzhōu shì Guǎngdōng Shěng de shǒufǔ.Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong province.