头绳 (tóu shéng) — hair tie, elastic band for tying hair; (regional) knitting wool

Definition

Means 'hair tie' in everyday use. In some regions it also refers to knitting wool, so context (tying hair vs. knitting) tells you which sense applies.

noun
hair tieelastic band for tying hair(regional) knitting wool
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 头绳，。
    Wǒ de tóu shéng diào le, dé zài mǎi yí gè.
    My hair tie fell off; I need to buy another one.
  • 头绳。
    Zhè zhǒng tóu shéng bù róng yì duàn.
    This kind of hair tie doesn't break easily.
  • 头绳，。
    Zhè zhǒng tóu shéng shì yòng lái zhī máo yī de, bú shì zhā tóu fa de.
    This type of "tóu shéng" is for knitting sweaters, not for tying hair.

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tóuhead
绳shéngstring

头 refers to the head and 绳 to a string, so 头绳 is a string used to tie hair.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 繩; 绳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
黽
黽mǐn繩shéng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 繩 is built from 糸, the rope/string part, and 黽, the sound part.

Open 绳 →

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