Meaning of 指头
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- finger
- toe
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 指头
指头 is a common spoken word for finger, and with 脚 (jiǎo, foot) in front, 脚指头 means toe. It is often counted with 根 (gēn). Example: 我的指头被门夹了。(Wǒ de zhǐtou bèi mén jiā le.) My finger got caught in the door.
指 (zhǐ) means to point, and 头 (tou) here is a noun suffix. So 指头 is simply the thing you point with: your finger.
Common mistake: The 头 in 指头 is neutral tone, so say zhǐtou, not zhǐtóu. Learners also confuse it with 点头 (diǎntóu), where 头 keeps its second tone because it really means head.
指头 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.
指 zhǐ · finger · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
头 tóu · head · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 指头.
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) |
| 里头 | lǐtou | inside; interior |
| 点头 | diǎntóu | to nod |
| 石头 | shítou | stone |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger |
| 头脑 | tóunǎo | brains; mind |
| 指导 | zhǐdǎo | to guide; to direct; to instruct; coach; trainer |
| 指出 | zhǐchū | to indicate; to point out |
| 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] |
| 指挥 | zhǐhuī | to conduct; to command |
| 镜头 | jìngtóu | camera lens; camera shot (in a movie etc) |
Questions about 指头
What does 指头 mean?
指头 (zhǐtou) means "finger; toe" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 指头?
指头 is made of 2 characters: 指 (9 strokes), 头 (5 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 指头 an HSK word?
Yes. 指头 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 指头 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 指头 is written 指頭.
What is the difference between 指头 and 手指?
Both mean finger. 手指 (shǒuzhǐ) is a little more standard and neutral, while 指头 sounds more colloquial and everyday.
How do you say thumb or toe using 指头?
Thumb is 大拇指 (dàmuzhǐ), sometimes 大拇指头 in speech. Toe is 脚指头 (jiǎo zhǐtou), also written 脚趾头.