抽头 (chōu tóu) — to take a cut or commission (especially from gambling or business transactions); (electronics) tap

Definition

A colloquial verb with two unrelated senses: 'to skim a cut/commission' (especially from gambling or business deals) and, in electronics, 'to tap' a line. Only the first sense is likely useful at this level.

verb
to take a cut or commission (especially from gambling or business transactions)(electronics) tap

Examples

  • 抽头。
    Zhuāng jiā měi cì dōu yào chōu tóu.
    The house takes a cut every time.
  • ，。
    Tā chōu le sān chéng tóu, shèng xià de cái fēn gěi dà jiā.
    He took a 30% cut, and only then distributed the rest to everyone.
  • 抽头。
    Zhè ge diàn lù yǒu yí gè biàn yā qì chōu tóu.
    This circuit has a transformer tap.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

抽chōutake
头tóuportion

抽 means to take, and 头 refers to the portion skimmed from the top.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu抽chōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

Open 抽 →

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 →

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