案头 (àn tóu) — desktop, tabletop

Definition

Literary word for the surface of one's desk. 案头工作 refers to paperwork or desk-based writing/research, as opposed to field or hands-on work.

noun
desktoptabletop

Examples

  • 案头。
    Tā bǎ wén jiàn fàng zài àn tóu shàng.
    He put the documents on the desktop.
  • 案头。
    àn tóu Gōng zuò ràng wǒ hěn máng.
    Desk work keeps me busy.
  • 案头。
    Wǒ de àn tóu zǒng shì hěn luàn.
    My desktop is always messy.

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.

案àndesk
头tóutop

案 gives desk and 头 gives its top, so 案头 means the surface of a desk.

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
安
安ān案àn
Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Open 案 →

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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