Definition
头 (tou, neutral tone) is a suffix that attaches to nouns, verbs, or adjectives to form a new noun for a concrete everyday object, like 罐头 'can', 木头 'wood', and 骨头 'bone'. It is not the noun 头 (tóu, second tone) meaning 'head' — the two differ in tone and function.
suffix
(suffix) noun-forming suffixoften for everyday objects or items
Easily confused
- 头tóulook-alike(noun) head
- 偷tōusound-alike(verb) to steal
- 投tóusound-aliketo throw, to cast (a vote, a glance)
- 透tòusound-alike(verb) to penetrate; to seep through; to leak
Examples
- 。Zhè guàn tou hěn hǎochī.This can (of food) is very tasty.
- 。Tā yòng mù tou zuò le yí gè zhuōzi.He made a table out of wood.
- 。Xiǎo gǒu xǐhuan kěn gǔ tou.The puppy likes to chew on bones.
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