头 Stroke Order — How to Write 头
头 is written in 5 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 大, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
头 Radical and Character Components
high.
Radical: 大 + 2 more strokes
头 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- tóu
Meanings of 头 in Chinese
1
tóu头
The uppermost part of the human body or the foremost part of an animal's body; also used to refer to one's mind or intellect.
他有一个聪明的头脑，学习任何东西都很快
He has a clever mind and learns anything quickly.
Refers to hair or a hairstyle.
我今天要去理发店剪头。
Today I'm going to the barber shop to get my hair cut.
The top or end of an object, often referring to a specific part, such as a mountaintop or the tip of a pen.
这座山头很高。
This mountaintop is very high.
Refers to the beginning or starting point of something, or a clue/thread.
我们从头开始，把所有步骤都仔细检查一遍。
Let's start from the beginning and carefully recheck all the steps.
The remnant or scrap of an object; a small piece left over.
这些线头儿可以用来做小工艺品。
These thread scraps can be used to make small crafts.
first; initial (referring to a sequence or order, e.g., the first day, the first person)
他总是头一个到公司。
He is always the first one to arrive at the company.
First; initial; leading in order or importance.
他拿了头等奖。
He won the first prize.
Leader; headman; chief.
这个团队的头儿很会鼓励大家。
The head of this team is very good at encouraging everyone.
Side or perspective; indicating alignment or agreement in opinion or interest.
我们俩想问题总是在一头的。
The two of us always think about problems from the same perspective.
Used to indicate 'just before' or 'approaching' a specific time or action.
头吃饭，要先洗手。
Before eating, one must first wash their hands.
Classifier, primarily used for livestock, e.g., 'one head of cattle'.
农场里有三头毛驴。
There are three donkeys on the farm.
Used to indicate an approximate or indefinite quantity, often numerical.
他手头总有些闲钱，三头五百的对他来说不是问题。
He always has some spare cash on hand; three to five hundred is not an issue for him.
A nominal suffix, often attached to nouns, verbs, or adjectives to form new nouns, indicating a state, characteristic, or object. When used as a suffix, it is typically pronounced with a light tone.
这块木头很重。
This piece of wood is very heavy.
A suffix attached to nouns indicating location or direction, similar to '-side' or '-place' in English (e.g., 'inside', 'on top', 'behind').
你看看盒子里头有什么东西？
Can you see what's inside the box?
Common Words and Phrases with 头
1
front page (of a newspaper)
这家报纸今天的头版刊登了一张关于社区活动的醒目照片。
This newspaper's front page today featured a striking photo about a community event.
2
Tou cun (头寸) refers to the cash position or available funds of a bank or financial institution, and can also broadly refer to the money supply in the market.
公司需要密切关注其头寸，以确保有足够的资金应对日常运营和潜在的投资机会。
The company needs to closely monitor its cash position to ensure it has sufficient funds for daily operations and potential investment opportunities.
3
4
5
A camail, typically a chainmail coif or neck guard suspended from a light steel helmet.
在修复古代铠甲时，工匠们特别注意重建那个连接在头盔下方、用于保护颈部的精巧头兜。
During the restoration of ancient armor, the artisans paid special attention to reconstructing the intricate coif, which was attached beneath the helmet to protect the neck.
6
7
8
To treat all matters indiscriminately; to handle different problems or tasks with the same undifferentiated method, without paying attention to specific details or differences.
经理批评小李工作缺乏条理，总是头发胡子一把抓，导致很多细节被忽略。
The manager criticized Xiao Li for his disorganized work, always taking an indiscriminate approach to tasks and lumping everything together, which led to many details being overlooked.
9
the first of the three ten-day periods of the hot season
头伏吃饺子是中国北方常见的习俗。
Eating dumplings on Tou Fu is a common custom in northern China.
10
first-class merit; top merit
在这次社区志愿者活动中，小王组织协调得力，为活动的顺利开展立下了头功
In this community volunteer event, Xiao Wang's effective organization and coordination made the most significant contribution to its smooth progress.
11
12
Number one; top-ranking; first-rate; also referring to the largest font size.
找到丢失的钥匙是今天的头号任务。
Finding the lost keys is today's top priority task.
13
Dizzy; giddy; a feeling of lightheadedness often with a tendency to faint.
我突然觉得头昏，需要坐下来休息一下。
I suddenly felt dizzy and needed to sit down and rest for a bit.
14
Feeling dizzy and muddled, often due to illness or exhaustion.
连续熬夜加班，他感到头昏脑胀，工作效率也大大降低了
After several days of staying up late and working overtime, he felt dizzy and muddled-headed, and his work efficiency significantly decreased.
15
dizzy and light-headed with blurred vision
她因为感冒发烧，觉得头昏眼花。
She felt dizzy and had blurred vision due to a cold and fever.
More words with 头
- é额tóu头forehead
- jiē街tóu头street; on the street
- mán馒tou头steamed bun, mantou
- àn案tóu头on the desk; at one's desk
- chú锄tou头hoe
- diào掉tóu头Make a U-turn, Turn around
- fǔ斧tóu头axe, ax
- jìng镜tóu头Lens, Shot
- méi眉tóu头brow, the space between the eyebrows
- niàn念tou头Thought, Idea
- quán拳tou头fist
- shé舌tou头Tongue
- tái抬tóu头Look up, Raise your head
- xiàn线tóu头thread end, loose thread
- yù芋tou头Taro, Taro root
- yuán源tóu头source, origin
- áo鳌tóu头First place, Top position
- bǎ把tóu头foreman, gang boss
- cáo槽tóu头Trough, Feeding trough
- càn孱tou头coward; weakling (derogatory)
Idioms with 头
- tóu头miàn面rén人wù物prominent public figure
- tóu头nǎo脑lěng冷jìng静keep a cool head
- tóu头nǎo脑péng膨zhàng胀become conceited or arrogant
- tóu头pí皮fā发má麻scalp crawls from fear
- tóu头pò破xuè血liú流badly battered and bruised
- tóu头shàng上ān安tóu头needless duplication
- tóu头téng疼nǎo脑rè热minor ailments
- tóu头tòng痛nǎo脑rè热minor ailments
- tóu头tòng痛zhì治tóu头treat the symptoms, not the cause
- tóu头tóu头shì是dào道speak or act clearly and logically
- tóu头yǎng痒sāo搔gēn跟futile effort in the wrong place
- tóu头yūn晕mù目xuàn眩to feel dizzy and giddy
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Open the tool →Questions about 头
What does 头 mean in Chinese?
头 (tóu) means “Refers to hair or a hairstyle” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 头?
头 is pronounced tóu in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 头 have?
头 has 5 strokes.
How do you write 头?
头 is written in 5 strokes, starting from the radical 大. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 头?
The radical of 头 is 大, and 头 is a phono-semantic compound.