趾头 (zhǐ tóu) — toe | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial word for 'toe' (the digits on the foot). More everyday than the formal 脚趾.

noun

toe

Measure word · 个

Easily confused

趾头。
Tā cǎi dào le wǒ de zhǐ tóu.
He stepped on my toe.
趾头。
Tiào wǔ de shí hou tā niǔ shāng le zhǐ tóu.
She sprained her toe while dancing.
趾头。
Měi gè zhǐ tóu dōu yǒu zhǐ jia.
Each toe has a nail.

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.

The 趾 already names the toe, while 头 gives it a familiar colloquial feel.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

趾 combines 足 (foot) with 止, which meant foot and supplied the sound; the earliest written form was 止.

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.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

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.