苗头 (miáo tou) — early signs, indications (of a developing situation, often negative)
Definition
苗头 (miáotou) means the early, small sign that something is starting to develop — usually something negative. Compared to 兆头, which is a more general omen or portent, 苗头 focuses on the very first, often warning, hint of a developing situation.
noun
early signsindications (of a developing situation, often negative)
Examples
- ，苗头。Tā zuì jìn chí dào zǎo tuì, zhè ge miáo tou bú tài hǎo.He's been arriving late and leaving early lately — that's not a good sign.
- 苗头，。Jīng jì shàng chū xiàn le tōng huò péng zhàng de miáo tou, zhèng fǔ bì xū cǎi qǔ cuò shī.Early signs of inflation have appeared in the economy, and the government must take measures.
- 苗头，。Lǎo shī fā xiàn xué shēng yǒu yàn xué de miáo tou, jí shí hé jiā zhǎng gōu tōng.The teacher noticed early signs of students losing interest in studying and communicated with parents in time.
Appears in
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