头昏脑胀 (tóu hūn nǎo zhàng) — (idiom) dizzy, muddle-headed, and mentally sluggish; feeling overwhelmed and unable to think clearly

Definition

A vivid 4-character idiom meaning dizzy, heavy-headed, and mentally foggy — from tiredness, overwork, or information overload. Picture both head and brain feeling swollen.

idiom
dizzymuddle-headedand mentally sluggishfeeling overwhelmed and unable to think clearly

Examples

  • ，头昏脑胀，。
    Lián xù jiā bān sān tiān, wǒ xiàn zài tóu hūn nǎo zhàng, zhī xiǎng gǎn jǐn huí jiā shuì jiào.
    After three straight days of overtime, I'm dizzy and befuddled — I just want to hurry home and sleep.
  • ，头昏脑胀。
    Zhè ge bào gào shù jù tài duō le, kàn dé wǒ tóu hūn nǎo zhàng.
    This report has too much data — reading it has left me feeling dizzy and confused.
  • 头昏脑胀。
    Xià tiān zài tài yáng dǐ xià zhàn jiǔ le róng yì tóu hūn nǎo zhàng.
    Standing in the sun for too long in summer can make you feel dizzy and heavy-headed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

头昏head dizzy
头tóuhead昏hūndizzy
主谓Subject + predicate
脑胀brain swollen
脑nǎobrain胀zhàngswollen
主谓Subject + predicate

The head becoming 昏 and the brain becoming 胀 together describe dizziness and muddle-headedness.

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.

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 →

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

昏 combines 日 (sun) with 氏, a part showing lowering or going down. The picture is the sun going down at dusk.

Open 昏 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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 脹; 胀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng脹zhàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 脹 pairs ⺼ (meat) with 長, which gives the sound; this note is about 脹, not 胀.

Open 胀 →

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