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头痛 (tóu tòng) — having a headache (physical pain); (figuratively) troublesome, headache-inducing

Definition

Literally 'head-ache': the physical pain sense (我头痛) and the figurative 'headache / troublesome' sense. As figurative, it's more about the problem being a nuisance than about people — 讨厌 and 烦 focus on annoyance at a person or task.

adjective
having a headache (physical pain)(figuratively) troublesomeheadache-inducing

Examples

  • 头痛，。
    Wǒ jīn tiān yǒu diǎn tóu tòng, xiǎng zǎo diǎn xiū xi.
    I have a bit of a headache today and want to rest early.
  • 。
    Zhè ge shù xué tí zhēn ràng rén tóu tòng.
    This math problem is a real headache.
  • 头痛？？
    Nǐ tóu tòng ma? yào bú yào chī yào?
    Do you have a headache? Do you need to take medicine?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

头tóuhead
痛tònghurt

头 'head' is said to 痛 'hurt', giving the sense of a painful head and, figuratively, something troublesome.

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →
Appears in
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