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缩头 (suō tóu) — to be timid and shrink from responsibility

Definition

A colloquial, figurative verb meaning 'to shrink back in fear' or 'to dodge responsibility' — literally 'pull in one's head' like a turtle. Used in phrases like 缩头缩脑 for a cowardly, evasive person.

verb
to be timid and shrink from responsibility

Examples

  • 。
    Tā yù dào wèn tí jiù suō le tóu.
    He shrinks from responsibility whenever he faces a problem.
  • 。
    Suō zhe tóu jiě jué bù liǎo rèn hé wèn tí.
    Shrinking your head won't solve any problems.
  • 。
    Tā cóng lái méi yǒu suō guò yí cì tóu.
    He has never once shrunk from responsibility.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

缩suōshrink
头tóuhead

“缩” means to shrink and “头” means head, so shrinking one's head suggests timidity or avoiding responsibility.

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 縮; 缩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìstring, thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
宿
宿sù縮suō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 縮 pairs 糸 (string, thread) with 宿, which gives the sound; the simplified 缩 is a shorthand.

Open 缩 →

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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