点头哈腰 (diǎn tóu hā yāo) — to bow and scrape; to be obsequious; to fawn over someone

Definition

An idiom meaning to bow and fawn over someone in a servile, obsequious way — often used critically to describe flattery toward a superior.

idiom
to bow and scrapeto be obsequiousto fawn over someone

Examples

  • 点头哈腰，。
    Tā zài lǎo bǎn miàn qián zǒng shì diǎn tóu hā yāo, ràng rén kàn le hěn bù shū fu.
    He's always bowing and scraping in front of the boss, which makes people uncomfortable.
  • 点头哈腰，。
    Nà ge guān yuán shēn biān wéi zhe yì qún diǎn tóu hā yāo de rén, zhēn ràng rén fǎn gǎn.
    That official is surrounded by a bunch of sycophants — it's really off-putting.
  • ，点头哈腰，。
    Tā wèi le shēng zhí, zhěng tiān duì lǐng dǎo diǎn tóu hā yāo, shī qù le zì jǐ de zūn yán.
    In order to get promoted, he fawns over his leaders all day, losing his own dignity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

点头nod
点diǎntouch/nod头tóubody part
动宾Verb + object
哈腰bend at the waist
哈hābend腰yāowaist
动宾Verb + object

点头 means nod and 哈腰 means bend at the waist; together bowing and scraping.

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé哈hā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哈 uses 口 (mouth) to show a mouth-related idea, and 合 as a sound part. The shape of 合 may look like two open mouths, but that is likely by chance.

Open 哈 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
要
要yào腰yāo
Same sound today

The left part ⺼ is flesh; the right part 要 gives the sound.

Open 腰 →

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