下头 (xià tóu) — (noun) the lower part; underneath; (noun) a sub…

Definition

noun

the lower partunderneatha subordinate (person of lower rank or position)

下头。
Qiáo de xià tóu yǒu hěn duō shí tou.
There are many stones underneath the bridge.
下头。
Tā zài gōng sī lǐ shì wǒ de xià tóu.
He is my subordinate in the company.
下头。
Wén zhāng de xià tóu nèi róng xū yào xiū gǎi.
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Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

下 gives lower and 头 gives a place sense; together they mean the lower side or a lower person.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

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