头数 (tóu shǔ) — head count of livestock; number of animals

Definition

noun

head count of livestocknumber of animals

头数。
Zhè ge nóng chǎng de niú tóu shǔ zēng jiā le bǎi fēn zhī èr shí.
The cattle headcount on this farm increased by 20 percent.
头数，。
Tǒng jì yí xià yáng de tóu shǔ, kàn kàn yǒu méi yǒu diū shī.
Count the number of sheep to see if any are missing.
头数。
Jīn nián zhū de tóu shǔ bǐ qù nián duō le yí bèi.
The number of pigs this year is double that of last year.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The 数, number, is counted in 头.

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 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.

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 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攴攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

婁

婁lóu數shù(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 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.