头 meaning and stroke order
Head; hair style; the top
How to write 头, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 头
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- head
- hair style
- the top
- end
- beginning or end
- a stub
- suffix for nouns
How 头 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. High.
大 gives the meaning.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 头
Picture 大 (dà), a person standing with arms spread, with two little dots ⺀ at the top. The dots mark the highest part of the body, the head, which fits the etymology hint "high".
头 (tóu) means head, but it also means the top, the end, or the first of something, and it can name a leader or boss. As a neutral suffix (tou) it forms everyday nouns like 石头 (shítou) stone and 木头 (mùtou) wood. Example: 他点了点头。(Tā diǎn le diǎn tóu.) He nodded.
Common mistake: Learners often write the two dots on the wrong side or forget them, which leaves 大 (dà) big. In words like 石头 and 里头 the tone is neutral (tou), so do not stress it as a full second tone.
Common words with 头
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) | HSK 2 |
| 里头 | lǐtou | inside; interior | HSK 2 |
| 点头 | diǎntóu | to nod | HSK 2 |
| 石头 | shítou | stone | HSK 3 |
| 头脑 | tóunǎo | brains; mind | HSK 3 |
| 木头 | mùtou | wood; log (CL:塊|块[kuai4],根[gen1]); (fig.) blockhead; dolt | HSK 3 |
| 老头儿 | lǎotóur | see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5] | HSK 3 |
| 镜头 | jìngtóu | camera lens; camera shot (in a movie etc) | HSK 4 |
| 骨头 | gǔtou | bone; moral character | HSK 4 |
| 后头 | hòutou | behind; the back | HSK 4 |
| 前头 | qiántou | in front; at the head | HSK 4 |
| 回头 | huítóu | to turn round; to turn one's head; later; by and by | HSK 5 |
| 码头 | mǎtóu | wharf; dock; quay; pier | HSK 5 |
| 抬头 | táitóu | to raise one's head; to look up; (fig.) to begin to emerge; to show signs of growth | HSK 5 |
头 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 头
Learning 头 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 头
How many strokes are in 头?
头 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 头 mean?
头 (tóu) means head; hair style; the top. A common word with it is 头发 (tóufa), meaning "hair (on the head)".
How do you pronounce 头?
头 is pronounced tóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 头?
The radical of 头 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 头 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 头?
The traditional form of 头 is 頭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 头 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 头 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 头 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 头 and 头发?
头 (tóu) is the head itself. 头发 (tóufa) is the hair on the head, so to say you got a haircut you say 剪头发 (jiǎn tóufa).
Can 头 be used as a measure word?
Yes. 头 is a measure word for some large animals, such as 一头牛 (yì tóu niú) one cow and 一头猪 (yì tóu zhū) one pig.