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满头 (mǎn tóu) — (of hair, sweat, etc.) covering the whole head; all over one's head

Definition

A noun-noun compound meaning 'the whole head' — used to describe hair, sweat, or anything covering the head from top to bottom. Always paired with what covers the head (满头白发, 满头大汗), never used alone.

noun
(of hair, sweat, etc.) covering the whole headall over one's head

Examples

  • 满头，。
    Tā mǎn tóu bái fà, kàn qǐ lái hěn yǒu zhì huì.
    He has white hair all over his head and looks very wise.
  • ，。
    Pǎo le wǔ gōng lǐ hòu, wǒ mǎn tóu dà hàn.
    After running five kilometers, I was dripping with sweat.
  • 满头，。
    Nà wèi lǎo rén mǎn tóu shì hàn, què hái zài jiān chí gōng zuò.
    That old man's head was covered in sweat, yet he kept working.

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.

满mǎnfull
头tóuhead

满 'full' over 头 'head' gives the whole head, as in hair covering it.

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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
Body Parts

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