Meaning of 钟头
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (coll.) hour
How to use 钟头
钟头 is a spoken, casual word for hour, used for lengths of time and not for clock time. It takes the measure word 个: 我等了两个钟头。(Wǒ děng le liǎng gè zhōngtóu.) I waited for two hours. In writing or formal speech, 小时 (xiǎoshí) is more common.
钟 (zhōng) is a clock, and 头 (tóu) is a head or a unit you count. Picture counting the heads of a clock: each full turn of the clock is one hour, so 钟头 is one hour.
Common mistake: Learners drop the measure word and say 两钟头. The correct form is 两个钟头 (liǎng gè zhōngtóu). Another trap is using 钟头 for clock time. For three o'clock you say 三点 (sān diǎn), not 三钟头.
钟头 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.
钟 zhōng · a bell · 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 钟头.
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute |
| 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 |
| 闹钟 | nàozhōng | alarm clock |
| 后头 | hòutou | behind; the back |
Questions about 钟头
What does 钟头 mean?
钟头 (zhōngtóu) means "(coll.) hour" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 钟头?
钟头 is made of 2 characters: 钟 (9 strokes), 头 (5 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 钟头 an HSK word?
Yes. 钟头 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 钟头 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 钟头 is written 鐘頭.
What is the difference between 钟头 and 小时?
Both mean hour as a length of time. 钟头 sounds more colloquial and is heard often in everyday northern speech. 小时 is neutral and works in both speech and writing. Unlike 钟头, 小时 can drop 个 in some cases, as in 两小时.
Is 头 in 钟头 pronounced with a full tone or neutral tone?
The dictionary gives zhōngtóu with a second tone on 头. In casual speech many speakers lighten it, but saying tóu is always correct. Compare 石头 (shítou), where 头 is usually neutral.