摇头 (yáo tóu) — to shake one's head (in disagreement, refusal, or disappointment)

Definition

A verb-object phrase used as a verb meaning to shake one's head, usually to show disagreement, refusal, or disapproval. It is a 离合词 (separable verb): you can insert 了, 着, or a measure word between 摇 and 头 (e.g. 摇了摇头).

verb
to shake one's head (in disagreement, refusal, or disappointment)

Examples

  • ，摇头，。
    Tā tīng le wǒ de huà, zhǐ shì yáo tóu, shén me yě méi shuō.
    After hearing what I said, he just shook his head and said nothing.
  • ：“，。”
    Mā ma yáo zhe tóu shuō: "bù xíng, zhè yàng tài wēi xiǎn le."
    Mom shook her head and said, 'No, this is too dangerous.'
  • ，。
    Tā yáo le hǎo jǐ cì tóu, biǎo shì bù tóng yì.
    He shook his head several times to show disagreement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

摇yáoshake
头tóuhead

摇 means shake and 头 is head, so the action is shaking one's head.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

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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