Meaning of 点头
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to nod
How to use 点头
点头 is a verb-object phrase meaning to nod, often to show agreement or greeting. It can also mean to give approval, like a boss agreeing to a plan. Example: 他点了点头。(Tā diǎn le diǎn tóu.) He nodded.
点 (diǎn) means a dot or to tap lightly, and 头 (tóu) means head. Picture your head making a small dot in the air as it dips once: that is a nod.
Common mistake: Because 点头 is verb plus object, learners say 点头了他 to mean nodded at him. The correct form is 向他点头 (xiàng tā diǎntóu) or 对他点头 (duì tā diǎntóu).
点头 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.
点 diǎn · to touch briefly · 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 点头.
| 地点 | dìdiǎn | place; site |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) |
| 一点点 | yī diǎndiǎn | a little bit |
| 重点 | zhòngdiǎn | to recount (e.g. results of election); to re-evaluate |
| 观点 | guāndiǎn | point of view; viewpoint |
| 有点儿 | yǒudiǎnr | slightly; a little |
| 里头 | lǐtou | inside; interior |
| 快点儿 | kuài diǎnr | erhua variant of 快點|快点[kuai4 dian3] |
| 特点 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature |
| 有一点儿 | yǒuyīdiǎnr | a bit; a little |
| 石头 | shítou | stone |
Questions about 点头
What does 点头 mean?
点头 (diǎntóu) means "to nod".
How do you write 点头?
点头 is made of 2 characters: 点 (9 strokes), 头 (5 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 点头 an HSK word?
Yes. 点头 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 点头 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 点头 is written 點頭.
How do you say to shake your head in Chinese?
Use 摇头 (yáotóu). It pairs naturally with 点头, as in 点头或者摇头 (diǎntóu huòzhě yáotóu), nod or shake your head.
Is 头 in 点头 pronounced with a neutral tone?
No. In 点头 it keeps its full second tone, tóu. This differs from words like 石头 (shítou), where 头 is a neutral-tone suffix.