头 tóu / tou — head; suff. for nouns
我有点儿头疼。Wǒ yǒu diǎnr tóu téng.I have a bit of a headache.
Common words: 头发 (tóu fa)、点头 (diǎn tóu)、里头 (lǐ tou)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "head"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "head", including 头 (tóu / tou), 总 (zǒng), 首 (shǒu), 昂 (áng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "head" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 头 (tóu / tou), 总 (zǒng), 首 (shǒu), 昂 (áng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tóu, tou, zǒng, shǒu, áng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 头 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 头 tóu / touhead; suff. for nounsUseful words: 头发, 点头
- 总 zǒngalways; to assemble; gather; total; overall; headUseful words: 总是, 总结
- 首 shǒuhead; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poemsUseful words: 首先, 首都
- 昂 ánghigh; raise (head); high; soaring; raise; liftUseful words: 昂贵, 高昂
Common words for these 4 "head" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 头 (tóu / tou) — so "head" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
头发tóu fahair (on the head)点头diǎn tóuto nod里头lǐ touinside; interior总是zǒng shìalways总结zǒng jiéto sum up; to conclude; summary; résumé总统zǒng tǒngpresident (of a country)首先shǒu xiānfirst of all; in the first place首都shǒu dūcapital (city)首次shǒu cìfirst; first time; for the first time昂贵áng guìexpensive; costly
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "head".
总 zǒng — always; to assemble; gather; total; overall; head
他总是第一个到教室。Tā zǒng shì dì yī ge dào jiào shì.He is always the first to arrive at the classroom.
Common words: 总是 (zǒng shì)、总结 (zǒng jié)、总统 (zǒng tǒng)
首 shǒu — head; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poems
我很喜欢这首歌。Wǒ hěn xǐ huan zhè shǒu gē.I really like this song.
Common words: 首先 (shǒu xiān)、首都 (shǒu dū)、首次 (shǒu cì)
昂 áng — high; raise (head); high; soaring; raise; lift
运动员们昂首挺胸地走进了赛场。Yùn dòng yuán men áng shǒu tǐng xiōng de zǒu jìn le sài chǎng.The athletes walked into the arena with their heads held high.
Common words: 昂贵 (áng guì)、高昂 (gāo áng)、昂然 (áng rán)
All 4 characters
Open 头、总、首 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.