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浪头 (làng tou) — crest of a wave; (figurative) the forefront, vanguard; leading edge (of a trend or movement)

Definition

Literally 'crest of a wave', but 浪头 is also a fixed metaphor for the leading edge or vanguard of a trend — used only in this figurative set phrase (e.g. 时代的浪头).

noun
crest of a wave(figurative) the forefrontvanguardleading edge (of a trend or movement)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 浪头。
    Nà ge làng tou bèi fēng chuī dé yuè lái yuè gāo.
    That wave crest was blown higher and higher by the wind.
  • 浪头。
    Tā zǒng shì zhàn zài shí dài de làng tou shàng.
    He always stands at the forefront of the times.
  • 浪头。
    Zhè ge xīn jì shù de làng tou yǐ jīng dào lái le.
    The wave of this new technology has already arrived.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

浪làngwave
头tóusuffix

“浪” gives the wave image, and “头” makes it a concrete thing.

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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