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头功 (tóu gōng) — the highest merit; greatest service; top credit (in competitions or achievements)

Definition

头功 means the top credit or greatest merit in a shared achievement. Unlike a general 功劳 (credit/contribution), 头功 specifically names the single largest share of that credit.

noun
the highest meritgreatest servicetop credit (in competitions or achievements)

Examples

  • ，头功。
    Zài zhè cì bǐ sài zhōng, tā dé le tóu gōng.
    In this competition, he got the highest merit.
  • 头功。
    Dà jiā dōu rèn wéi zhè cì shèng lì de tóu gōng yīng gāi guī tā.
    Everyone thinks the top credit for this victory should go to him.
  • 头功，。
    Tā lì le tóu gōng, dé dào le jiā jiǎng.
    He performed the greatest service and received commendation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

头tóufirst
功gōngmerit

头 gives the idea of first or top, and 功 gives merit, together meaning highest merit.

Characters in this word

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
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.

Open 头 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsSuccess & Failure

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