抬头 meaning in English
to raise one's head; to look up; (fig.) to begin to emerge; to show signs of growth
Meaning of 抬头
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to raise one's head; to look up
- (fig.) to begin to emerge; to show signs of growth
- (commerce) account name, or space for writing the name on checks, bills etc
How to use 抬头
抬头 is most often literal, meaning to raise your head or look up, and it pairs naturally with its opposite 低头 (dītóu, to lower your head). It can also mean that something is starting to grow or reappear, often about trends or prices. Example: 他抬头看了看天空。(Tā táitóu kàn le kàn tiānkōng.) He looked up at the sky.
抬 (tái) has the hand radical 扌 on the left, so picture your hand lifting something up. Put it with 头 (tóu, head) and you get lifting your head: to look up.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 抬 (tái) with 台 (tái, platform) because they sound the same. Only 抬, with the hand radical, means to lift. Another common mistake is reading 头 here with a neutral tone. In 抬头 it keeps its full second tone, tóu, unlike 石头 (shítou) or 木头 (mùtou).
抬头 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
抬 tái · to lift · 8 strokes
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头 tóu · head · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 抬头.
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) |
| 里头 | lǐtou | inside; interior |
| 点头 | diǎntóu | to nod |
| 石头 | shítou | stone |
| 头脑 | tóunǎo | brains; mind |
| 木头 | mùtou | wood; log (CL:塊|块[kuai4],根[gen1]); (fig.) blockhead; dolt |
| 老头儿 | lǎotóur | see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5] |
| 镜头 | jìngtóu | camera lens; camera shot (in a movie etc) |
| 骨头 | gǔtou | bone; moral character |
| 后头 | hòutou | behind; the back |
| 前头 | qiántou | in front; at the head |
| 回头 | huítóu | to turn round; to turn one's head; later; by and by |
Questions about 抬头
What does 抬头 mean?
抬头 (táitóu) means "to raise one's head; to look up; (fig.) to begin to emerge; to show signs of growth".
How do you write 抬头?
抬头 is made of 2 characters: 抬 (8 strokes), 头 (5 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 抬头 an HSK word?
Yes. 抬头 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 抬头 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 抬头 is written 抬頭.
What does 抬头 mean on an invoice or check?
In business, 抬头 is the name of the payee or the company written on a check, invoice or receipt. For example, when getting a 发票 (fāpiào) in China, you may be asked for the 发票抬头, which is the company name that should appear on it.
How is 抬头 different from 抬起头来?
抬头 is the basic verb phrase. 抬起头来 (tái qǐ tóu lái) adds a directional complement and focuses on the movement of lifting your head up, so it sounds more vivid. It is also used figuratively, for example 抬起头来做人, meaning to hold your head high.