头角 (tóu jiǎo) — talent, ability (as shown for the first time, u…

Definition

Always used in the set phrases 初露头角 or 崭露头角, meaning 'to show one's talent for the first time'. 头角 on its own is not used as a standalone word.

noun

talentability (as shown for the first time, usually in the idiom 初露头角 / 崭露头角)

头角，。
Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng chū lù tóu jiǎo, yíng dé le yí zhì hǎo píng.
He showed his talent for the first time in the competition and won unanimous praise.
头角，。
Zhè wèi nián qīng zuò jiā zài wén tán chū lù tóu jiǎo, hěn kuài biàn shòu dào guān zhù.
This young writer made his debut in literary circles and quickly attracted attention.
，。
Tā cóng xiǎo xué xí gāng qín, shí suì shí jiù yǐ zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo.
She studied piano from a young age and had already shown her talent by the age of ten.

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.

头角 refers to horns on the crown, a metaphor for talent first showing.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 角 is a picture of a horn.